The duisport Group was able to assert itself in the 2019 financial year and increase revenue and results

The duisport Group was able to assert itself in the 2019 financial year, increasing revenue by 5 percent and results by 6.8 percent. Investments rose by 6.4 million euros. For the current year, due to the expected recession, impacts on results are anticipated.

(Duisburg, April 22, 2020) In 2019, the business of the duisport Group remained stable. This was evident at the first-ever ‘online’ balance press conference of the duisport Group on April 21. Although the economic environment had already become significantly more challenging in 2019, the duisport Group was still able to maintain its course in the past financial year. While the total turnover in the port decreased, not least due to structural tonnage losses in coal and steel, the increasingly diversified company was able to achieve a revenue of 292.6 million euros in 2019. This represents an increase of 5.1% or 14.1 million euros compared to the revenue of 278.5 million euros in the previous year.

The operating result (EBITDA) improved by 2.1% from 42.5 to 43.4 million euros. The annual surplus increased from 12.2 million euros in 2018 to 13.0 million euros. This is an increase of 6.8%.

“After 21 years of uninterrupted growth, the Port of Duisburg faces significant challenges. The recession triggered by the Corona pandemic and the second structural change along the Rhine and Ruhr will have negative impacts in this and the following financial years. The emerging catch-up effects and the decline in the automotive and industrial sectors are already significant and will be felt well into the autumn. Overall, I expect a decline in total economic output of 10% over the year 2020,” estimates the CEO of the duisport Group, Erich Staake. “We must proceed with caution and a sense of reality, but we must not neglect our strategic projects. We need to actively adapt our business models for the second structural change towards a digitized logistics and industry, which is why we will continue to expand our incubator startport as planned. Ambitious infrastructure projects like logport VI will also be further pursued. The Corona situation must not lead to paralysis but rather challenges our entrepreneurial creativity in a special way. We will accept the expected setbacks but continue to look boldly ahead. Only in this way can we overcome this crisis,” Staake continued.

Balance of the four business areas The highest revenue-generating business segment, packaging logistics, recorded a strong increase of 8.9% – from 93.6 million euros to now 102.0 million euros. In contract logistics, duisport achieved revenue growth from 24.4 million euros to now 29.7 million euros. The infra- and suprastructure segment recorded revenue of 53.5 million euros. This is a slight decline of 1.6% compared to 54.3 million euros in the previous year. Revenue in logistics services fell by 1.5% from 77.1 million euros to 75.9 million euros.

In 2019, the duisport Group increased its expenditures for tangible and financial investments from 20 million euros in 2018 to now 26.4 million euros.

Total goods turnover The total goods turnover of the duisport Group fell from 65.3 million tons in 2019 to approximately 61.1 million tons. This is a decrease of 4.2 million tons.

The main reasons for this are the weakening industrial demand and the exit from coal-fired power generation, which has led to a further significant decline in bulk shipments. Overall, the coal and steel sector was 20% below the previous year’s level. Other factors include the closure of the Øresund Bridge, which has significantly affected trade with Scandinavia, as well as the weakened demand for chemical precursors.

In contrast, the container turnover of Duisburger Hafen AG remained at the level of 2018 (4.1 million TEU) with around 4.0 million TEU in 2019. With a share of around 60 percent, container turnover has now become the most important duisport business area.

Central hub At the same time, duisport has achieved further successes in expanding its role as a central goods hub for Central Europe. Around 30% of all trade by freight train between China and Europe is already handled through the Port of Duisburg. The Rhine-Ruhr region is thus becoming increasingly important for trade between the EU and China. Up to 40 trains operate weekly between Duisburg and a dozen destinations in China.

Through partnerships with premium partners from China, Switzerland, and Eastern Europe, further growth along the corridors of the Silk Road is to be enabled in the interest of the German export economy.

A key role is played by China Railway Container Transport Corp., Ltd (CRCT). In November 2019, a framework agreement was signed with this leading railway company for further joint optimizations in China traffic. At the same time, CRCT Europe Logistics GmbH opened its official European branch in Duisburg. Thus, the two leading companies in the transport and logistics sector promote rail traffic between China and Duisburg. At the same time, duisport was able to create an additional offering for its customers and strengthen its position as Europe’s most significant hinterland hub.

startport startport is the innovation platform of the Port of Duisburg. Since its founding in late 2017, a total of 35 startup companies have been given the opportunity to develop innovative solutions for the logistics industry in collaboration with the accelerator startport. In addition to young startup founders from Germany, since early 2020, two startup companies from Finland and Slovenia have also been active at the startport headquarters in Duisburg. At the same time, the team of startport GmbH has grown – in the 2019 financial year to a total of 12 employees.

Since early 2019, the startport exclusive partners Evonik, Klöckner & Co., and Initiativkreis Ruhr have also included the RAG Foundation and Borussia Dortmund. In 2020, startport aims to further expand its circle of exclusive partners. duisport completes its commitment to digital logistics innovations through active participation in the Digital Hub of the Dortmund Fraunhofer Institute.

“With startport in the duisport network, we attract young entrepreneurs who unlock new value chains for local companies. We and our network make logistics a driver of innovation, and Industry 4.0 becomes a reality,” says duisport CEO Erich Staake.

Photo: duisport

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