Critical infrastructure: ‘A little more of that can-do mentality, and it will be possible’

The discussion begins with the question of whether the Port of Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport consider themselves ‘the invisible engine of the Netherlands’. Esmé Valk, in particular, disagrees. ‘Invisible? No, we are certainly not invisible.’ The backbone of the Netherlands, then? ‘I am more comfortable with that.’
Valk: ‘Our port structure is unparalleled. The Netherlands has two major seaports, we have Schiphol Airport and then Brainport Eindhoven. Large economic clusters have formed around these, with thousands of often international companies that still want to establish themselves in the Netherlands precisely because of that port structure. If we look at relevance, and especially strategic relevance, then we as the Netherlands are thoroughly significant. Without us, the European economy would really be less strong.’
Baljeu: ‘The Netherlands is strategically and logistically crucial to Europe. We must not lose sight of that. We as the Netherlands must cherish our main ports. Good logistics and good infrastructure have always been the foundation and must remain so.’
Overtoom: ‘We must not forget that the Netherlands has traditionally been a trading nation. The motto of SAIL 2025 really appealed to me: United by Waves. I believe in that.’

What do your organizations have to offer the economy of the future?
Valk: ‘I think both Schiphol and the seaports form a crucial part of the economy of the future. We also want to invest heavily in this. There is a plan to invest ten billion euros in, among other things, better accessibility, a new terminal, and further sustainability. That is not only of benefit for the airport, but for the entire country. It is a direct investment in the Dutch economy. This means we will keep many people employed into the future. It means tens of thousands of well-paid jobs. We also contribute in other ways. We are at the forefront internationally with sustainability measures. However, the most important thing is that we are and should remain the best-connected airport in the Eurozone.’
Overtoom: ‘I think we have significant innovation to offer, now and in the future. The food industry in Zaanstad is at the forefront of the use of high-quality technology. They are incredibly innovative. The same applies to the steel industry. I think that as a port, we are at the forefront especially when it comes to circular raw materials and circular industry. We also need this if we want to remain as independent and strategically autonomous as possible.’

Should we not be looking at infrastructure and industry more at the European level? Which industries should be included, and which should not, for example?
Baljeu: ‘I am a strong proponent for handling spatial planning in your own country. That you make those choices there. Although, with the development of the Trans-European Transport Network, TEN-T, we have already made a number of important European decisions. But you cannot simply remove or relocate economic activity. You cannot just pack up the Port of Amsterdam and put it somewhere in Spain. That is not possible, and moreover: as the Netherlands, we should not want to do that either, especially given the geopolitical situation. We desperately need all those raw materials. We desperately need all those products. And everything you make has to go somewhere. Industry and logistics are intertwined. We must never give that up.’

What are we facing at the moment?
Overtoom: ‘There is scarcity in everything. Scarcity of space. Scarcity of energy. Scarcity of people. Ten years ago, as a port, we could operate relatively autonomously, without interference from others. The choice was always: housing or port. Now, everything presents a challenge: industry, energy, nitrogen, infrastructure, housing, tourism, sustainability ambitions, and water. It sometimes clashes. Housing is being planned so close to industry that it is doomed to failure from the outset. As it is, that industry has nowhere to go. We should be saying: if it is a TEN-T corridor, we will protect it; after all, significant investments have already been made in it.’

If you were in charge, what would you implement immediately for the benefit of your industry or the country?
Overtoom: ‘I would immediately start working on the overdue maintenance of the infrastructure, particularly the water-related infrastructure: bridges, locks, the pumping stations. The pumping stations not only keep our feet dry, it ultimately also ensure that the lock in the North Sea Canal functions. That lock is our main entrance. If it does not work, everything grinds to a halt. Furthermore, I would fully commit to electrification and solving the nitrogen problem. These are actually the prerequisites for being able to operate as an industry at the moment.’
Valk: ‘My first choice is clarity and legal certainty. That is really the most important thing for us. As a sector, we want to know where we stand. We are currently dealing with far too much uncertainty. Everything is up for discussion, right down to the nature permit. When you invest ten billion, it is important to know what you need to take into account. Secondly, a level playing field within Europe must be established urgently. Countries around us are abolishing all kinds of levies, but we are not. We are investing in innovations and measures to improve working conditions, while the rest of Europe pays little attention to this. As a result, there is little development in the market or economies of scale. That is unsustainable. And thirdly, I hear you, Koen, saying that we need to tackle the backlog of infrastructure maintenance. I would like to go much further.
The Netherlands is becoming congested, so we need to go much further. We need to invest heavily in roads, waterways, and railways. I really hope the new cabinet will work on extending the North/South metro line from Amsterdam, via Schiphol, to Hoofddorp. That is a crucial investment in infrastructure that will greatly benefit the Dutch economy.’
Baljeu: ‘First of all, I would focus on energy and the infrastructure surrounding it. This would make us less dependent on sometimes dubious countries outside Europe for energy. And a level playing field for businesses within Europe is indeed also very important. It is unacceptable that companies in Belgium and Germany receive energy discounts and here we do not. Finally, I would like to see a long-term vision. What Europe needs is a vision for the next twenty-five years. That will provide peace of mind and clarity. Twenty-five years is two or three strategic cycles for large international companies. They have a right to know which direction we are heading and what is and is not possible.’

We can wait for ‘The Hague’ or ‘Brussels’, but perhaps companies themselves can do something. What could that be?
Overtoom: ‘We are doing more than something, especially in ​​the energy transition. We now partly own a wind farm, we have solar panels, we have established an energy cooperative, and we are working on our own low-pressure hydrogen network. But what we are running into is that it is really very difficult to build a good business case. A few years ago, we invested heavily in a charging station for electric trucks. But in the first year and a half, the business case was leaning dangerously towards the worst-case scenario. Now, that charging station is suddenly doing incredibly well. And that is because, due to nitrogen and procurement regulations, we are all fully committed to emission-free construction. I see the same thing happening now with the low-pressure hydrogen network. We are going to pre-finance that too. But I do not have a single customer yet. The question is, is that wise?’

Do you also pre-finance at Schiphol?
Valk: ‘We certainly play our part. Our investment plan is the best example of that. We are taking responsibility and we are pioneering in the field of hydrogen. A liquid hydrogen storage facility was recently opened at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, a regional airport. It is a unique location for research into hydrogen-powered aviation. We are also working on converting our bird control vehicles to hydrogen. Electric is not an option because it is too heavy in the marshy fields around the runways. We are collaborating with Toyota on this. We are also working on hydrogen-powered tow trucks. But the same applies here, you need scale for these types of vehicles. If we do this only for our airport, it will be very expensive. And if the rest do not participate, they will have a competitive advantage.’
Overtoom: ‘It is also in our own interest. Why are we building this low-pressure hydrogen network? Because we are facing grid congestion. I cannot allocate land without an energy supply. So, we are trying to diversify our energy sources. We are also currently working on a high-voltage substation in our area. Just to speed things up. But keep in mind, that substation will not be ready for another eight years. If all goes well.’
Baljeu: ‘We have to accelerate. Issue permits faster. If one European country has approved something, the others do not have to redo the entire process. And the infrastructure across borders needs to be stronger. We need to work together where possible. And let us be honest: from now on, we will also have to make all investments with a defense perspective. Europe needs to think more in terms of resilience.’

Are we afraid of the risks?
Overtoom: ‘That is what I see. We sometimes spend endless hours negotiating who is willing or able to bear the risk. Recently, I spent days working on a tall pole in the port area. That pole had to be removed for various reasons. For that job – which takes two hours at most – forty risks were identified. I negotiated with five parties about who would assume the residual risk. That, I think, is symbolic of our times. We have become extremely risk averse. Everything is being sealed off. It used to be more a case of: you take the risk now, I will take the next one, and if things go wrong, we will help each other. That system has long since disappeared. It also has to do with knowledge. Some of that knowledge has been lost. An experienced pilot is not fazed by wind force eight. Adding an extra tugboat is no problem. But if you leave it to theoreticians, everything grinds to a halt at wind force eight. Then you get stuck on the side of caution.’

What are some good examples of successful collaboration?
Baljeu: ‘The Second Maasvlakte is still the textbook example. Politicians, businesses, and environmental organizations worked together excellently there. Even though it was a very long process.’
Overtoom: ‘I think Tata Steel is the best example at the moment. I think it is very bold of (outgoing) Minister Hermans (Climate and Green Growth) to have allocated billions to Tata's greening efforts. Hermans' announcement is truly significant. I think Tata can become the prime example of how to make industry sustainable and preserve it. This is also important in terms of strategic autonomy.’

Perhaps these times also call for a different kind of leadership than we are used to?
Valk: ‘You should not have people who cling to their old ideas, talk in vague terms, or tell their stories in a veiled manner. We need leaders who seek collaboration and dare to put their vulnerabilities on the table. That is all quite exciting. Especially now that there is an increasing focus on the personal liability of directors.’
Overtoom: ‘I admire Alliander CEO Maarten Otto, with whom I work on our energy projects. He dares to be vulnerable. At one point, he said that he could no longer do his core business, supplying electricity, due to grid congestion. That is not something you easily admit as a CEO. You try to deny it for a long time. In all honesty, I think more companies and organizations in the Netherlands face this problem. He broke the ice. If you say something like that, you get helped.’

We are facing major challenges. What do we need? And do you see any positive developments?
Baljeu: ‘We need a Marshall Plan 2.0, a broad, overarching vision for the future of European and Dutch industry and the economy. To preserve industry in the Netherlands and Europe and a strong infrastructure. We are truly at a pivotal point. We all have to put our shoulders to the wheel to keep Dutch and European industry competitive.’
Overtoom: ‘What we need most of all is an integrated approach. We need a comprehensive strategic spatial plan. What are we going to do? And where are we going to start? Where do I want people to live, where do I generate energy, where do I want industry?’
Baljeu: ‘The positive thing is that we in Europe have become very aware that the main thing now is to create the right conditions for European businesses. I see a shift. The sustainability goals have all been set. Now it is a question of how we can support businesses in remaining competitive. In my view, that is all good news.’
Valk: ‘That is right. I am also optimistic. It is in my nature. I also believe that we can achieve this together. Put our shoulders to the wheel and show what we can do. It is possible. We need a little more of that can-do mentality. So, we are simply going to invest ten billion. Period. Legal certainty or not.’
Baljeu: ‘We need a little more courage. If everyone showed a little more courage, we could make one step forward.’
Overtoom: ‘We are somewhat lacking in pride. Not many people are proud of Tata, proud of the port, or proud of Schiphol. You do need that pride. If you are proud of something, you feel responsible and are willing to take risks. If you are not proud, you are not going to stick your neck out. That pride in what the Netherlands is so good at could do with a bit of a comeback.’

This interview was published in Management Scope 03 2026.