European technology platform Waterborne TP has announced that the partnership board governing the co-programmed partnership on zero-emission waterborne transport in the framework of Horizon Europe has recently approved the Additional Activities Report 2021–2022.
The report outlines the detailed investments undertaken by the sector in the first year and a half of the partnership. These investments are necessary to achieve EU-wide zero-emission waterborne transport. The partnership aims to lead and accelerate the transformation of waterborne transport (i.e. maritime transport and inland navigation) to eliminate harmful environmental emissions (including GHG, air and water pollutants) through innovative technologies and operations. Its objective is to develop and demonstrate by 2030 deployable zero-emission solutions applicable for all main ship types and services, paving the way for zero-emission waterborne transport by 2050.
The report for additional activities entails an amount of €1,000m of investments in:
- additional research, development and innovation,
- scaling up of technologies,
- demonstrators of these innovative technologies,
- the creation of new business opportunities,
- training and skills development,
- contribution to the development of new standards, regulations and policies,
- supporting the development of ecosystems and
- supporting communication, dissemination, awareness raising and citizen engagement.
These additional activities are aligned with the objectives of the partnership. Thereby, the waterborne transport sector already invested one third of the total amount of investments foreseen for the period 2021 – 2030.
Eero Lehtovaara, Chair of the Waterborne Technology Platform, said: “Waterborne transport moves nearly 90% of all international trade, more than 75% of external EU trade and 40% of internal EU trade. In this context, Europe is an island and thereby fully dependent of this strategic sector. The sector is an ecosystem of diverse stakeholders, ranging from shipyards, to maritime equipment manufacturers, shipowners, classification societies and the broader research sector. The report demonstrates the commitment of the sector in moving forward to developing and deploying sustainable solutions for future benefits. At the same time, it shows the need for significant investments, since there is no single silver bullet to decarbonise waterborne transport.”
Rosalinde van der Vlies, Director Clean Planet, DG RTD of the European Commission said: “The challenges of achieving the green transition in waterborne transport call for an all-hands-on-deck approach. The work under the Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport partnership, which the European Commission supports through Horizon Europe, shows that all parties concerned in the waterborne R&I ecosystem are already working under a shared plan to achieve zero-emission solutions for the main ship types and services. The report demonstrates that the partnership is committed to support innovation from the different perspectives that will maximise its potential”.
