Towards the implementation of the inland navigation action programme with a focus on Green and Connected Inland Waterway Transport

Project outputs and results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:

• Development of inland waterway transport policies to ensure the implementation of green and digital, water protection and environmentally sound solutions.
• Identification of best practices and increase their take up and faster modernisation of the inland fleet.
• Building of a viable financial engineering instruments to support investments in zero emission, digitalised and connected vessels.
• Proposal of a European labelling system for EU waterways.
• Estimation of the potential modal shift to inland waterways transport with Impact of each Naiades III actions on modal shift.
• Provision of a knowledge exchange, discussion and promotion platform for implementing Naiades III innovative actions
• Working together with the Waterborne Technology Platform and the inland waterway transport sector; strengthen the coordination between national, EU and industrial research across the waterborne transport sector, the wider logistics chain in cooperation with relevant international organisations so as to increase the deployment of the solutions developed and provide input towards EU R&I and deployment programmes.
• With the direct involvement of end users’ improvement of the environmental performance of inland waterways and contribute to future-proof; workforce, infrastructure, digital and automation developments which are compatible with a changing climate.

The European Green Deal and NAIADES III challenges require a breakthrough Action Plan for the innovative system change from a holistic perspective to achieve drastic emission reduction and modal shift targets. These elements lead to:

• a change in the ownership structure and business models (e.g. energy as a service, leasing),
• intensive horizontal and vertical collaboration, vessels using (near) zero-emission technologies and energy carriers (e.g. batteries, fuel cell, synthetic fuels and clean combustion),
• standardised and modular hardware and ship design as well as advanced IT solutions for connected inland waterways transport,
• synchro-modal planning,
• safe and autonomous navigation and smart shipping.

Also, the required infrastructure, regulations, incentives need to be addressed. Finally, end user buy-in and commitment will be key to facilitate these changes.

Targeted follow up coordination and support activities are needed in the Inland Waterways sector, and in particular to support implementation of NAIADES III. These actions will address greening, and digitalisation and the leverage of the outcomes from related projects. In addition, actions should support a bridge between research, innovation and the buy in and deployment within inland waterways sector in coordination with the wider waterborne and logistics sectors.

A dedicated Coordination and Support Action will act as European platform and catalyst by bringing together the required expertise, disciplines and stakeholders. Synergies and collaboration with other sectors and transport modes will be crucial elements.

Proposals are expected to address all of the following aspects:

• Identification and analysis of barriers and opportunities for the development, implementation and take up of low and zero-emission innovations as well as digital solutions for the inland waterway transport sector in close cooperation with relevant projects and initiatives, including those targeting the broader waterborne transport sector. In this respect, a particular focus will be to decarbonise and improve the environmental performance of inland waterway transport, particularly within urban and protected areas as well as future-proofing infrastructure and ensuring compatibility with digital and automation developments within a changing climate.
• Development of an implementation plan, in close cooperation with the industry, which includes an assessment of the Total Cost of Ownership. Lessons learnt from frontrunners will be included in the assessment. In addition, the industrial commitment in terms of investments will need to be leveraged with additional resources, which might be available in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, aiming for a dedicated financial instrument for co-financing the deployment of zero-emission, automated vessels with innovative public-private collaboration models for deployment^[1].
• The development and validation of a Digital Twin to support conclusions and recommendations on policy measures and regulations. The Digital Twin enables quantitatively simulating different scenarios and options to assess the contributions on modal share by the NAIADES III measures and emission reductions and the impacts for the various stakeholders involved.
• The consolidation of the Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) knowledge network, which was previously established with the support of H2020 and will end in 2023. The coordination and support action will build on the results of previous work and will reflect the multi-disciplinary requirements and complexity of the subject, coordinating with the wider waterborne, land transport and logistics communities. It will identify the appropriate measures and define the necessary means and tools.
• Develop further a RD&I roadmap and implementation plan, in coordination with the Waterborne technology platform, by integrating all stakeholders.
• Monitor the inland waterway transport RD&I project from relevant European programmes and their impacts, in coordination with the Waterborne Technology Platform.

This coordination and support action will ensure an active participation of key industrial stakeholders, the Waterborne Technology Platform, EU Member States/Associated countries’ administrations, industry associations and river commissions.

[1]Communication de la Commission: Future-proofing European inland waterway transport - NAIADES III action plan: NAIADES III Annex I action 33 ”Facilitate the efforts of stakeholders and Member States to create a fund complementing EU and national financial instruments”, https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/default/files/com20210324-naiades.pdf and EP report P9_TA(2021)0367 “Towards future-proof inland waterway transport in Europe - European Parliament resolution of 14 September 2021 towards future-proof inland waterway transport.