HOLGISTICS will pilot and demonstrate innovative open standard logistics solutions and technologies which accelerate freight transport decarbonisation while increasing operational efficiency and flexibility, ensuring logistics networks are cost effective and competitive, taking account of externalities. The project will scale up collaborative solutions for multimodal logistics nodes and networks, enhancing digital and physical interoperability, supported by effective business and governance models, and facilitating increased use of zero emission vehicles and vessels. This will lead to major reductions in GHG emissions in the logistics networks, supporting the 2030 Climate Target Plan to reduce emissions by 55%. Logistics supply chain performance will be further improved via a Physical Internet approach, synchromodality and models which drive pooling, resource sharing and optimisation of capacity utilisation across modes. A wide range of processes, procedures and services in multiple logistics nodes and operations across Europe will be implemented, enhancing innovations and technologies developed in previous Horizon projects, and magnifying the benefits of ongoing CEF investments. These include: AI, IoT, synchromodal logistics algorithms, interoperability using shared standardised boxes/containers, automation and autonomous systems, new business models and solutions for increased use of zero emission transport, semantic models for collaborative data sharing, Digital Twins, advanced simulation and visualisation solutions, resource sharing and pooled logistics models and innovative inventory strategies that enable increased use of greener transport. Open access definition and seamless interaction will be prioritised, enabling all players including SMEs to participate, exploiting the DTLF data sharing framework to ensure scalability and compliance with the ongoing development of the common European mobility data space and achieving TRL 7 by the end of the project.

The specific challenge for waterborne transport call MG4.1 is, “To support developments that make new and existing vessels…more efficient and less polluting”. A sound way to support developments is, to demonstrate solutions that are sufficiently close to market so that ship owners will consider these in their future investment plans. Following this reasoning LeanShips will execute 8 demonstration actions that combine technologies for efficient, less polluting new/retrofitted vessels with end users’ requirements. Demonstrators were selected for their end-user commitment (high realisation chance), impact on energy use/emissions, EU-relevance, innovativeness and targeted-TRL at the project end. Selected technologies (TRL3-4 and higher) address engines/fuels/drive trains, hull/propulsors, energy systems/emission abatement technologies. Technologies are demonstrated mostly at full-scale and evidence is provided on energy and emission performance in operational environments. The LeanShips partnership contains ship owners, shipyards and equipment suppliers, in total 48 partners from industry (81%) and other organisations. Industry has a leading role in each demonstrator. Target markets are the smaller-midsized ships for intra-European waterborne transport, vessels for offshore operations and the leisure/cruise market. First impact estimates show fuel saving of up to 25 %, CO2 at least up to 25%, and SOx/NOx/PM 10-100%. These estimates will be updated during the project. First market potential estimates for the LeanShips partnership and for markets beyond the partnership are promising. Project activities are structured into 3 layers: Basis layer with 8 focused demonstrators (WP 04-11), Integration layer with QA, Innovation Platform and Guide to Innovation (WP02), Dissemination and Market-uptake (WP03), and top Management layer (WP01), in total 11 Work Packages. The demonstrators represent an industry investment of ca. M€ 57, the required funding is M€ 17,25.