Mr. Holger Banik, CEO of Niedersachsen Ports, tells ESPO in the following interview how he got into maritime transport, the challenges and benefits of managing several ports, and his view on digitalisation. Discover below more about Niedersachsen Ports!

(c) NPorts/Andreas Burmann
Can you briefly present Niedersachsen Ports? What are its main characteristics?
Niedersachsen Ports is the port infrastructure company with the largest number of public seaports in Germany. We are responsible for five seaports, seven island supply ports, and three regional ports along the coastal region of Niedersachsen. Some of our core tasks include the development, construction and maintenance of the infrastructure, and in doing so, we are actively designing the future of the ports.
We have modern port facilities for general transshipment and handling at our disposal. At the same time, we can accommodate the needs of certain key industries with specialised equipment and services, and with the appropriate surface areas.
How did you get into maritime transport? How did your career path lead to this position?
Before I became Spokesman of the Management Board of Niedersachsen Ports and Managing Director of the JadeWeserPort Realisierungs GmbH & Co. KG in January 2014, I had gained extensive experience in various positions and locations in the field of rail cargo traffic at Deutsche Bahn AG (German railway company). Among others, I have been Assistant to the Financial Director, then Director of Controlling at the branch Hannover/Bremen, Commercial Director at the branch Hamburg, as well as Director Planning and Reporting at their headquarters in Mainz. In 2007, I joined bremenports GmbH & Co. KG, first as Commercial Manager and, since 2011, as Commercial Managing Director.
While the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, Transport and Digitalisation is the port authority, Niedersachsen Ports is operating the seaports of Lower Saxony. Could you explain the structure, the challenges and benefits of managing several ports, as well as the cooperation with the companies in the ports? . . . . . 
. . . . . continue reading the article on the ESPO website here