Platform for the Implementation for green and connected Inland Waterway Transport IWT) as envisaged in the Action Plan of NAIADES III. The platform will act as catalyst, bringing together expertise, stakeholders and research in the field of European Inland Waterway Transport, building on the network and expertise developed in the CSA project PLATINA 3 funded under Horizon 2020. The PLATINA4Action project aims to accelerate the implementation of green and connected inland waterway transport. Activities will focus on 1) supporting and coordinating research and innovation activities focussing on green and connected IWT to find synergies between parallel developments, 2) impact estimations of NAIADES III actions and supporting the policy discussions to achieve modal shift and zero-emission IWT and 3) the updating of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for IWT. The consortium will work closely together with European Commission DG MOVE in view of the NAIADES Implementation Expert Group and DINA Expert Group. Furthermore the consortium will involve and interact with IWT and logistic representatives and platforms, river commissions, ports and waterway managers, Member States and research institutes.

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.

ENTRANCE offers a common and legitimate European matchmaking platform and complementary off-line services designed to mobilise financial resources to accelerate the market access and scale up of “first of a kind” sustainable transport solutions, thereby reducing the European CO2 emissions and pollutants caused by the transport and mobility sector. The overall concept focus of the ENTRANCE project lies in the “supply-demand-finance” triangle that is envisaged for all transport and mobility modes and all relevant stakeholders. Through the ENTRANCE Matchmaking accelerator funnel workflow, first-of-a-kind zero, or near-to-zero, emission transport solutions will be identified, attracted and matched with potential buyers and financing opportunities and knowledge on good practices on the deployment of innovative solutions, European and national tenders, and legislation will be exchanged through the online platform. Training and brokerage activities will be executed to increase the maturity of the ENTRANCE community and bridge the gap between innovative solutions and the market. In addition, to de-risk the uptake of innovative solutions, ENTRANCE will facilitate purchase aggregation through matchmaking activities and by setting up a neutral trustee for the orchestration of purchase aggregations. Access to finance will be supported through an online funding programme database and individual and personalised innovation finance advice and support will be offered. The funding advice will combine public funding, private investment opportunities, and the best mix of alternative finance models for solution providers. Finally, ENTRANCE will facilitate cross-fertilisation and clustering activities with European transport and mobility associations and initiatives to support critical mass and achieve a coordinated European effort to boost the uptake and upscaling of innovative transport and mobility solutions.

FOREMAST R&I activities are structured along 4 ambition Pillars: (P1) Selectable level of automation Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) architecture and interfaces and situational awareness model for interfacing GNC and sensory hardware and processing systems to efficiently solve the control problem unique to IWT. Combined with balanced human-autonomy collaboration (navigation, mooring, cargo handling, propulsion) and safety implications in mixed traffic utilising tailored Galileo/EGNOS services will lead to a Next-generation Remote Control Centre TRL 5 and Small Flexible Automated Zero-emission (SFAZ) autonomy control system TRL 5 protypes. (P2) Zero emission energy management solutions dynamically optimised for prevailing operating conditions. Hybrid Electric and Fuel Cell zero emission solutions will be evaluated against power and energy requirements, lifetime, costs and life-cycle emissions of alternative fuel/energy systems. (P3) Innovative Macro Designs for SFAZ vessels in intramodal & intermodal transport networks reflecting innovations from P1 and P2. Vessel design concepts, verified through simulation, will provide systematic evaluation of SFAZ designs for confined areas and shallow waters, providing an increased operational flexibility in terms of cargo capacity, types, and load units, tied with hydrodynamic and propulsion models and control architectures. (P4) A modelling simulation design and operational optimisation tools (Digital Twining Platform) enables both design and operational measurement and optimisation of Living Lab (LL) solutions, supporting solutions for European coastal and inland or congested urban regions, incorporating if needed third party innovative components, ensuring transferability and sustainability. 2 LLs in Ghent and Caen, that represent coastal and inland congested urban regions, will demonstrate the SFAZ Prototypes integrated through Automated Smart Terminals in optimised logistic networks. A 3rd virtual LL in Galati will demonstrate replicability.

DT4GS is aimed at delivering an “Open Digital Twin Framework” for both shipping companies and the broader waterborne industry actors to tap into new opportunities made available through the use of Digital Twins(DTs). The project will enable shipping stakeholders to embrace the full spectrum of DT innovations to support smart green shipping in the upgrade of existing ships and new vessels. DT4GS will cover the full ship lifecycle by embracing federation of DT applications as well as utilising DTLF policies and related shared-dataspace developments for the sector. DT4GS applications will focus on shipping companies but will also provide decarbonisation decision-support system for shipyards, equipment manufacturers, port authorities and operators, river commissions, classification societies, energy companies and transport/corridor infrastructure companies. DT4GS’s objectives are to: 1. Support shipping companies in achieving up to 20% reduction in CO2e with a 2026 horizon, by developing and deploying real-time configurable DTs for ship and fleet operational performance optimisation in 4 Living Labs involving shipping companies, with different vessel types, and establishing fully validated industry services for Green Shipping Operational Optimisation DTs expected to be adopted by 1000+ ships by 2030. 2. Establish a comprehensive zero-emission shipping methodology and support Virtual Testbed and Decision Support Systems that address both new builds and retrofits comprising: a. A DT4GS (Green Shipping) Dataspace for the broader shipping sector contributing to GAIA-X by establishing a core European industry resource that accelerates the green and digital transition of waterborne shipping and transport value chains. b. Simulation based solutions to retrofit ships, targeting 55% reduced CO2e reduction by 2030. c. A smart green “new-build” reference design per vessel type. d. Virtual Testbed services for reducing the cost of physical testing of GS solutions by 20%.