Considering the diversity of the waterborne transport sector, its geographical scope, the international dimension and the challenges and opportunities upfront, LASTING will broaden engagement of the broader waterborne transport sector in European RD&I activities, by developing a communication strategy, and implementing a long-lasting communication campaign beyond the lifetime of this project, ultimately increasing, stakeholder engagement in the sector and thereby increasing impact of European waterborne transport RD&I. The communication strategy, and thereby the campaign will be based on clear KPI’s set at the starting point of LASTING, jointly developed with the relevant European Commission Services and the broader waterborne transport sector. The achievement of the KPI’s will be measured at fixed intervals, to ensure that the final communication strategy and the campaign will be fit-for-purpose and ready for roll-out. An essential element of the communication strategy will be the development of a plug-and-play system for participation in European, national or regional strategic maritime and/or inland waterway transport events. In the framework of LASTING, the plug-and-play system will be tested at a number of occasions, to ensure the system is fit-for-purpose. In addition, high quality dissemination materials (such as flyers and banners) and templates will be delivered. There will be a main focus on the use of digital tools for dissemination purposes, to ensure that the communication efforts of the waterborne transport community will easily follow the concept launched in the framework of LASTING. Finally, yet importantly, the Waterborne TP will take over the communication strategy and campaign after the lifetime of LASTING and will ensure a durable implementation of the concepts and materials developed in the framework of the project.

STEERER will coordinate the establishment and communication of a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and an Implementation Plan towards zero-emission waterborne transport, in cooperation with all key stakeholders needed to facilitate the transformation to clean waterborne transport (the STEERER project will provide input to the Waterborne TP regarding the development and update of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Candidate Co-Programmed Partnership on Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport in the framework of Horizon Europe). The project will develop and execute an effective communication strategy, to not only raise awareness to the key stakeholders of the waterborne transport sector as such, but by raising awareness of citizens regarding the strategic importance of the sector and the commitment of the sector to mitigate climate change and contribute to a healthy living environment. The consortium will function as a Secretariat, where the broader expertise is involved in the Scientific Committee and the Green Shipping Expert Group to be established by the project. STEERER is geared towards reaching its expected impacts during the project lifetime. STEERER will focus on: - Jointly setting emission targets towards 2050 (including targets for 2025 and 2030); - Contributing to the update of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Co-Programmed Partnership on Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport (cPP ZEWT) in the framework of Horizon Europe, to be able to reach these targets in time; - Developing an Implementation Plan to reach the targets in due course, while staying competitive and offering a valid business case; - Developing and implementing a communication campaign, aimed at broader awareness of the waterborne transport sector and its commitment towards zero-emission transport. STEERER will focus on massive transition of both the existing fleet as well as the new-built fleet towards zero-emission performance in 2050, while respecting the need for sound business cases for ship-owners and operators. STEERER will concentrate on a selection of the most promising solutions per segment of the waterborne transport sector and tackle barriers to their further development and deployment of innovation.

PLATINA3 provides targeted coordination and support activities to promote Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) in Europe. PLATINA3 makes the bridge towards future research, innovation and implementation needs within IWT in Europe. A key objective is providing the knowledge base for the implementation of the EU Green Deal in view of further development of EC`s IWT action programme (NAIADES) towards 2030. PLATINA3 addresses priority topics for the success of IWT: 1) integration & digitalisation of IWT in view of modal shift & synchromodality 2) zero- emission, automated & climate resilient fleet 3) skilled workforce anticipating to zero-emission & automation 4) smart & climate resilient waterway and port infrastructure with clean energy hubs. PLATINA3 is structured around fields Market, Fleet, Jobs & Skills, Infrastructure. Key experts and stakeholders are consortium partners ensuring required expertise and support: IWT sector and shippers (IWT Platform, BLN, ESC), member states and river commissions (CCNR, DC), waterway administrations (INE, viadonau), education institutes (STC, MAH), Waterborne TP / Sea Europe, workers (ETF), expertise centres (PDM and SPB/EICB). PLATINA3 sets up a coordinated platform consisting of these consortium partners enriched with committed Advisory Board members, policy makers, researchers, wider logistics and waterborne industries, other sectors and other transport modes. The platform is a catalyst for awareness, stakeholder engagement and uptake of outcomes from related national and European projects and initiatives. PLATINA3 consolidates their findings, assesses their impacts and gaps. Desk research and dialogues with experts and stakeholders lead subsequently to policy and R&D roadmaps and implementation plans. Interactive workshops and consultations are organised in 6 PLATINA Stage events. It gives targeted input to amongst others Horizon Europe. Moreover active dissemination will take place using websites, newsletters and social media.

Since 2008 the key stakeholder in the Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) sector are cooperating towards the harmonisation and modernisation of professional qualifications in inland navigation. These stakeholders consists of: European Commission (DG Move), River Commissions (Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR), International Sava River Basin Commission and the Danube Commission), EU Social Partners (European Skippers Organisation (ESO), European Barge Union (EBU) and European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) as well as the European IWT education and training (e&t) institutes (EDINNA). Following the activities in the FP7 project PLATINA, the European Commission installed in 2012 a Common Expert Group on Professional Qualifications in Inland Navigation (CEG) co-chaired by the CCNR, in order to start the revision of the 96/50/EC in place. This resulted in 2016 in a proposal from the European Commission for a directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in Inland Navigation. One key item of this directive is the fact that the competences crew members on board of inland vessels should possess are laid down in an Annex, based on a series of research activities executed. The second key item is the fact that the students that will pass an exam in line with the new directive, will receive a Union certificate, increasing labour mobility throughout the EU. On the 27 December 2017, Directive 2017/2397 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the recognition of professional qualifications in IWT and repealing Council Directives 91/672/EEC and 96/50/EC has been published in the Official Journal of the EU. For this reason, the time has come to support the implementation of the competence based IWT e&t system throughout the EU. COMPETING will develop curricula and lesson materials, as well as a Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) system, to ensure the highest level of quality concerning the implementation of future proof IWT e&t

This proposal is for the creation of a Research and Innovation Action aimed at advancing innovation in the Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) sector (topic MG.4.4-2014). It is called “PROMINENT – Promoting Innovation in the Inland Waterways Transport Sector” and will address the key needs for technological development, as well as the barriers to innovation and greening in the European inland navigation sector. PROMINENT thereby is fully in line with the objectives of the European action programme NAIADES-II. PROMINENT addresses all topics included in call MG.4.4-2014 and is geared towards reaching its full impacts during the project lifetime. PROMINENT is ultimately aimed at providing solutions which make inland navigation as competitive as road transport in terms of air pollutant emissions by 2020 and beyond. In parallel PROMINENT aims to further decrease the energy consumption and carbon footprint of IWT, an area where IWT has already a strong advantage compared to road transport. PROMINENT will focus on: • Massive transition towards efficient and clean vessels. • Certification and monitoring of emission performance and development of innovative regimes • Harmonisation and modernisation of professional qualifications and the stimulation of the further integration of IWT into sustainable transport chains. PROMINENT will achieve the following targets: - develop cost-effective solutions applicable to 70% of the fleet and reduce the implementation costs by 30%; - involve all relevant stakeholders; - actively address and remove implementation barriers by 2020. The PROMINENT partners have found broad support among political and commercial decision makers in the field of inland navigation. Through its direct access to relevant industrial stakeholders and Member States the consortium has obtained significant backup needed to perform the work. The commitment of these organisations will lead to a high acceptance and further dissemination of results.