Port of Twente

What Port of Twente does

Port of Twente is a regional logistics network organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in Almelo, Netherlands. It operates as a membership-based association connecting three stakeholder groups in the Twente region's logistics sector: private sector companies (transporters, freight forwarders, warehouse operators, shippers and producers), government entities (provincial and municipal), and educational institutions. The organization serves as a neutral platform that addresses fragmentation in the regional logistics ecosystem by facilitating knowledge sharing, joint projects, and business development across these groups, and is explicitly not a software product company.

The organization does not sell traditional products. Its primary deliverables are networking events (Logistics Café sessions, TSLOTS network meetings, the annual Logistics Career Day, summer BBQs, New Year's receptions, and AI workshops), a members-only community app called "Bundeling" for news, events, and member connections, and collaborative projects focused on logistics innovation and sustainability. Its most prominent ongoing initiative is the Digital Twinning Twentekanalen project — a €1.3 million effort funded by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management that brings together research partners (Universiteit Twente, Deltares, Hogeschool Windesheim), regional government (Provincie Overijssel, Gemeente Enschede), and the Combi Terminal Twente inland terminal operator to develop multimodal corridor improvements for the Twente canal.

Port of Twente is governed by a board led by Chairman André van der Wei (also Managing Director of Matco International, appointed 2024) and Director Ben Gerrits (in role since 2017), with additional board members drawn from member companies. Revenue is generated through membership fees (not publicly disclosed), supplemented by project-specific public grants. Notable members include Rabobank, Twepa, Bleckmann, Timberland (part of VF Corporation), Nobian, Universiteit Twente, ROC van Twente, and Hogeschool Windesheim. The organization operates without disclosed external investment, parent company, or institutional ownership, and confines its activity to the Twente region of East Netherlands.

Name

Port of Twente

Legal name

Port of Twente

Website

https://portoftwente.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Port of Twente is a regional logistics network association based in Almelo, Netherlands that connects companies, governments, and educational institutions in the Twente region's logistics sector through membership-based events, collaborative projects, and a members-only community app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Almelo

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Port of Twente is a membership-based logistics network organization that connects logistics companies, government bodies, and educational institutions in the Twente region of East Netherlands. It provides networking events (Logistics Café, TSLOTS, Logistics Career Day, summer BBQ), facilitates collaborative projects on sustainable and digital logistics innovation (Digital Twinning Twentekanalen, SMART4L, ECOLOGIC), and offers members a community app ('Bundeling') for news, events, and connections. Members receive exclusive event access, member-directory visibility, and direct contact with regional decision-makers.

Product overview

Port of Twente is a regional logistics network organization that connects companies, governments, and educational institutions in the logistics sector. Rather than offering a traditional software product, Port of Twente provides networking services, organizes events (such as Logistics Café sessions, TSLOTS community days, and summer BBQs), facilitates collaborative projects focused on logistics innovation and sustainability, and offers a members-only community app called 'Bundeling' for news, events, and member connections. The organization serves as a platform for knowledge sharing, business development, and regional logistics strengthening in East Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Port of Twente Network Membership

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• AndSyncminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2025AI solutions provider that presented at the Logistics Café event on AI in logistics, sharing expertise on artificial intelligence applications in the sector.
• Universiteit TwentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey research partner collaborating on multiple projects including Digital Twinning Twentekanalen (€1.3M project funded by Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management), SMART4L, and AI workshops for logistics companies. The university provides research expertise and student involvement.
• Provincie OverijsselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government partner involved in the Digital Twinning Twentekanalen project and broader logistics infrastructure initiatives in the province.
• DeltarescoreTechnology or IntegrationResearch institution partner in the Digital Twinning Twentekanalen project, contributing expertise in water management and climate adaptation for multimodal corridors.
• Hogeschool WindesheimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Applied Sciences partner in the Digital Twinning Twentekanalen project, contributing to research on resilient multimodal corridors.
• Combi Terminal Twente (CTT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInland terminal operator partner in the Digital Twinning project, contributing practical expertise on cargo handling and multimodal logistics.
• Gemeente EnschedemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner in the Digital Twinning Twentekanalen project, representing local logistics interests.
• Port of ZwollemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister port organization partner in the Digital Twinning project, collaborating on regional logistics corridor development.
• Ministerie van Infrastructuur en WaterstaatcoreOthersDutch Ministry providing primary funding for the Digital Twinning Twentekanalen project (€1.3 million budget) and supporting broader logistics infrastructure improvements.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• DINALOG: Dutch Institute for Advanced Logistics, a top-sector logistics organization coordinating industry, academia and government for logistics innovation in the Netherlands. Comparable as a convening and project-coordination body, though more research-oriented.
• Port of Zwolle: Dutch inland port organization explicitly partnered with Port of Twente on the Digital Twinning project as a 'sister port.' Operates a similar regional port and logistics network model in the Zwolle region, making it the closest direct peer.
• SmartPort: Dutch regional logistics innovation network for the Rotterdam port area that connects businesses, knowledge institutions and government to drive logistics innovation. Highly comparable to Port of Twente's triple-helix model in a different Dutch region.

Others

• NAPA (North Atlantic Ports Association): Industry association representing North Atlantic ports. Not a direct competitor, but operates in an adjacent space as a port-network association, sharing the association-based convening model with Port of Twente at a broader geographic scale.

Broad incumbents

• Port of Rotterdam: Largest port authority in Europe and the dominant Dutch port operator. Operates the Rotterdam port ecosystem at a vastly larger scale and offers overlapping convening capabilities, but does not specialize in inland regional logistics networking.
• Hamburg Port Authority: Operator of the Port of Hamburg, one of Europe's largest ports, with significant inland logistics and hinterland corridor programs. Comparable in mission (port authority with multimodal logistics focus) but vastly larger in scale.
• Port of Amsterdam: Dutch port authority operating the Amsterdam port complex with both sea and inland functions. A broad incumbent in the same national port ecosystem with overlap on regional logistics coordination, though serving a much larger metropolitan region.
• Port of Antwerp-Bruges: Major European port authority formed by the merger of Port of Antwerp and Port of Zeebrugge. Broad incumbent with inland logistics networks and multimodal corridor programs that conceptually overlap with Port of Twente's mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Port of Twente