Partners
The New Silk Route - Connecting Antwerp and Chongqing
Several years ago – in 2010 to be exact – POM Antwerp (Development Authority of the Province of Antwerp) picked up the idea of a rail connection for goods between Antwerp and China, during a mission to Chongqing, in inland China. After all, this municipality – the biggest city in the world – showed a vast interest in the development of such an intercontinental land bridge. With Antwerp being a logistic hub in the center of Europe, POM saw a large potential for growing international trade and future investments and together with the Antwerp Port Authority and the Belgian Administration of Customs & Excise a project was launched. In October 2011, the first block train departed in Chongqing for arrival in Antwerp. The major concern of the local Chinese government however remained the return cargo, cargo from Europe to China. And it was Antwerp that could deliver the solution for this imbalance. Many Antwerp-based companies showed their interest in the rail connection as an alternative for transportation by air, sea and truck, but the type of goods, mainly pharmaceutical, chemical and food products, required temperature controlled transport. On request of POM Antwerp, the Flanders Institute for Logistics (VIL) started a research project on the technical and economical feasibility of temperature controlled rail transport between Antwerp and Chongqing. In May 2014 the results were presented and it was proven that the distance of over 10.000 kilometers shouldn’t be an obstacle for temperature controlled rail transport. It’s just a matter of using the right type of reefer container. With the knowledge generated by the research project, POM Antwerp continues to support the actual development of the rail connection at both Antwerp and Chinese side. Since 2010, POM Antwerp has a permanent representative office in Chongqing and in 2011 a friendship agreement with the municipality was signed. Through this close relationship with the local authorities, POM Antwerp is able to bring relevant parties in Antwerp and Chongqing together and to keep the Chinese side informed on the research developments in Flanders. POM even took a next step in the logistics adventure and facilitated the set up of the Joint Institute for Transport and Logistics, a cooperation between University of Antwerp and Chongqing University. This two-year master programme taught in Chongqing is yet another bridge between China and Europe.
