On 3 May 1966 – so 50 years ago – the MS Fairland arrived in Rotterdam under the watchful eye of Queen Juliana, with 226 containers on board. From that moment on, the Sea-Land Shipping Company has been maintaining a weekly container service between New York and the West European ports of Rotterdam, Bremen and Grangemouth, and Rotterdam became Europe’s first container port.

The importance of container transport for global trade can hardly be overestimated – which is why the container has also been called ‘the invention of the century’. In celebration of this anniversary, the Port Authority will not only be paying homage to the past with a special ‘dossier’, but also looking into the future. Can we think of any new inventions that could herald the dawn of a comparable revolution in transport?

Especially for the occasion, the Port of Rotterdam Authority asked journalist Charlotte van ‘t Wout to write four articles about innovations that could affect the future of the port and transport sector. We will also look back on the invention of the container.

On this site, the stories and other materials are offered as downloads: www.portofrotterdam.com/50years.