Waterborne transport is critical to achieving Europe’s sustainability ambitions, with new solutions offering substantial opportunities for operational efficiency, decarbonisation, and supply chain resilience. This session explores how four EU projects address complementary challenges to transform waterborne freight transport into a more efficient, sustainable, and digitally integrated system. The four projects aim to optimise voyage planning, improve port call processes, and develop scalable frameworks for automation and data-driven decision-making in waterborne freight transport.

The session will also examine how improved integration with land-based transport can unlock multimodal synergies, ensuring a seamless transition between transport modes and optimising end-to-end supply chains. Key Themes: 1.Interoperable Digital Infrastructure for Collaboration: Discuss the development of common communication standards and integrated systems to facilitate seamless coordination between ships, ports, and stakeholders, improving predictability and reliability across modes to create a unified transport ecosystem. 2.Sustainability and Emission Reduction: Highlight strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts through smarter navigation, energy-efficient operations, and digitalised port-vessel interactions. 3.Optimising Port Call and Voyage Operations: Explore how enhanced communication tools, real-time data sharing, and Just-In-Time (JIT) frameworks can improve efficiency, reduce waiting times, and lower emissions at sea and in ports.

Organiser:

• Alv Oydvin, ITS Norway

Moderator:

• Hanne Nettum Breivik, ITS Norway 

Speakers:

• Alv Oydvin, ITS Norway     
• Vassilis Podimatas, National Technical University of Athens 
• Olli Soininen, Fintraffic VTS ltd