Rauma may be a small town, but it is well-known for its busy port. During my recent visit, I learned about its operations that I want to share.

Rauma Port exports more than it imports, positively impacting Finland’s trade balance. Key exports include paper products from UPM and cellulose from Metsä Fibre, which are transported to the port by rail from nearby facilities.

In 2024, the port handles about 5 million tons of goods, mainly through RoRo and container traffic, with three ships arriving daily. The 12-meter depth accommodates large container ships. In 2023 210,000 TEU units were transported.

In 2023 exports through Rauma port were 3 million tons, imports 1.5 million tons, and domestic traffic was 0.2 million tons. 909 ships visited Rauma. You can see the list of ships in Rauma port right now here.

Rauma has its own railway, built in the 1890s, connecting it to inland factories, and while passenger service ended in the 1980s, there’s hope it might return. Read about the importance of the railway to Rauma’s success here.

Euroports is the largest operator, owning the port’s warehouses and employing 550 people on-site, working six days a week (double shifts from Monday to Friday).

The port stores oats in its silo and imports 100,000 tons of kaolin from the U.S. for paper coating.

Rauma also has dual waterway access, reducing the chance of ice blockage, and its last icebreaker aid was needed in 2011.

Companies like Eurajoen Romu, transporting metal waste, also use the port. I saw the roof material of Jysk, the one that flew off the shop with the Nov 1 hurricane winds in Rauma.

Rauma’s Seaside Industry helps 80 maritime-related companies of Rauma to network and prosper. They cooperate with the logistics studies of Winnova Trade School and Satakunta University of Applied Sciences.

I visited propulsion device maker Kongsberg. It produces 420 propulsion devices annually and demand grows for NATO vessels. The recent models are electric, not diesel. Although its production is not the fastest and cheapest, it offers good quality for its clients. This device converts engine power into thrust to move a vessel through the water, enabling steering and speed control.

Its competitor Steerprop is doing good as well, although its turnover decreased at the start of the Ukrainian war. Its customers were producing for the Russian market.

The shipyard, Rauma Marine Construction, was rescued by the town a decade ago when Korean STX was closed. Initially with 50 employees, its business idea was to buy all services from subcontractors. It now employs over 300 people, because the shipyard noticed it had to be around at all steps.

The shipyard recently completed a ferry for Tallink; two Australian ferries are in progress and four Finnish government military vessels are under construction.

Rauma’s Maritime Days (Meriverkostopäivät) event, held each fall by the Rauma Chamber of Commerce, is a great networking opportunity. During the event, I toured the nearly completed Australian ferry designed to handle rough waters on the Tasmania route. Imagine these ships sailing for almost 11 hours through big waves. The final touches will be made in Australia from local wood. The equipment for the kitchen will also be bought locally.

Looking ahead, Rauma Port is anticipating two significant projects, including a green energy initiative. The latter will impact the nearby island, where a cormorant colony began nesting in 2019 and a white-tailed eagle also nests and enjoys its food, the cormorans.

In the past, locals could access the port’s sauna, but post-2001 security regulations closed public access, and a gate was built in 2004.

In the future, we may see autonomous ships. Kongsberg already makes propulsion devices for autonomous ships. An innovative Rauma-born company awake.ai optimizes port logistics through AI, timing ship arrivals and maximizing efficiency. Imagine ships sailing on their own in the future. We just need an operator for water traffic just like Google and TomTom manage road traffic.

We are seeing new jobs coming to Rauma thanks to Finland joining NATO and potential new orders for shipbuilding and propulsion devices. The harbor is growing, but the town doesn’t benefit financially as much, since much of the operation is delegated to the operator. The town earns taxes from employees and companies, and people are getting new jobs.