The Green Inland Ports project launches an expression of interest and a warm invitation for European inland ports to engage with us in the pilot phase of this project. Green Inland Ports, commissioned by the European Commission, aims to enable sustainable management and development of inland ports. The objective is the development of a set of Sustainable Management System tools that will help inland ports to achieve their environmental goals. As an inland port participating in the pilot phase, you will cooperate closely with our team to apply these tools, based on your specific needs. Your valuable feedback and best practices will play a pivotal role in shaping the outcomes of the Green Inland Ports project and will contribute to the future European policy agenda for the greening of inland ports. 

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In the Open Innovation Challenge (OIC) we are looking for cost-effective solutions that help to „revolutionise“ the existing transport market. The aim is to demonstrate ideas on how multimodal transports of part loads of different products/goods on inland waterways are possible. 

WHY is it good to be part of it:

• As a winner, you’ll be at the center of the intermodal port scene: the OIC is your ticket to networking with key players such as the Port of Vienna and Port of Duisburg and to PR activities. There is a chance to implement the idea with the partners of the project.
• The MultiRELOAD OIC increases the visibility of your project in the whole D-A-CH area.
• The best ideas will be awarded, there will be prizes for the winners.

HOW to submit your ideas 

• REGISTER
• Choose "MultiRELOAD - Agricultural Products on Inland Waterways" and hit SUBMIT.
• Deadline: submitted ideas are accepted until 7 December 2023.

More details are available here.

The Open Innovation Challenge is carried out within MultiRELOAD. MultiRELOAD is an European cooperation for the development of innovative inland port solutions for efficient, effective and sustainable multimodality. It enhances the collaboration between different freight nodes in Europe to jointly test innovations and create favourable market conditions for multimodal freight transport solutions. To this end, MultiRELOAD will demonstrate solutions in three Innovation Areas with specific aims by 2025, mirroring the measures of the EU’s Smart Mobility Strategy

There are limited on-site spots available, with just 20 places left. We cordially invite you to seize this opportunity for in-person participation, allowing you to engage with experts, industry professionals, and fellow enthusiasts to explore the future dynamics of Danube Ports.

For those preferring the flexibility of virtual engagement, the event is also accessible online, without any limitations on participation. You can engage in insightful discussions, irrespective of your location.

To register and secure your spot, please visit the registration link below. 

Initiated by DAPhNE and successfully continued on a yearly basis by DIONYSUS, the Danube Ports Days have become a must-attend event on the agenda of the IWT community in the Danube Region and well beyond, providing a transnational platform to discuss, by bringing together decision-makers, experts and the IWT sector, key aspects related to port development issues. This year's event is organised by Pro Danube in cooperation with the Green Inland Ports, MultiRELOAD, and Synergetics projects with the support of the Danube Ports Network.
The agenda is available for download here. 

When: 23-24 November 2023
Where: thinkport VIENNA & online  

REGISTER

Initiated by DAPhNE and successfully continued on a yearly basis by DIONYSUS, the Danube Ports Days have become a must-attend event on the agenda of the IWT community in the Danube Region and well beyond, providing a transnational platform to discuss, by bringing together decision-makers, experts and the IWT sector, key aspects related to port development issues. This year's event is organised by Pro Danube in cooperation with the Green Inland Ports, MultiRELOAD, and SYNERGETICS projects and with the support of the Danube Ports Network.

The preliminary agenda is available for download here.

REGISTER

The 23rd of November marked the closing event of a successful transnational partnership co-initiated by Pro Danube for the benefit of the Danube ports community - the DIONYSUS project. Supported by the Danube Ports Network, Pro Danube has successfully coordinated numerous knowledge-transfer & creation as well as capitalisation activities, facilitating synergies with EU transport policy initiatives and other port development-related projects.

Developed by Pro Danube, a video, highlighting the project's main achievements and its enduring impact on the well-being of Danube ports, was officially launched in the frame of the final event. Check it out by clicking on the image above.

The video can be accessed here.

Two editions of the Danube Ports Handbook were elaborated and published in the frame of DIONYSUS with the support of the Danube Ports Network. The first edition was published in December 2021, whereas the second edition was finalized and published in October 2022.

The Danube Ports Handbook is based on the results of 2 surveys that were carried out among the ports of the Danube Region to collect information on port traffic in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic covering the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. While Danube shipping is closely correlated with developments in the regional and global economy, the average number of port calls as well as the number of handled products and traffic passenger transport generated useful insights into the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Danube navigation. The survey furthermore touched upon topics linked to procedural restrictions that may have impaired a smooth transport flow.

15 ports participated in the survey and are portrayed in the Danube Ports Handbook.

Both editions of the Danube Ports Handbook are available for download here.  

Continuing the well-established practice initiated by the DAPhNE project, the 2022 edition of the Danube Ports Day event was successfully organised in the frame of the DIONYSUS project by Pro Danube Management (PDM) and the Maritime Ports Administration Constanța (MPAC) with the support of the Danube Ports Network (DPN). By bringing together numerous experts from the Danube Region and beyond, the event set the scene to discuss hot topics related to i) the Ukrainian goods exported from Danube ports and the new logistics chains, ii) transport of goods on the Lower Danube – reflecting on infrastructure conditions, opportunities, and challenges, iii) digitalization trends and intermodal logistics in the Danube Region.

Keynote interventions were delivered by Mrs. Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) and Mr. Alain Baron, Adviser to the Rhine-Danube Corridor Coordinator. Both interventions highlighted that despite the challenges caused both by the conflict in Ukraine as well as by the immediate consequences of climate change – ports must maintain their forefront role in the international distribution of goods.

Two interactive sessions – on intermodality and logistic chains moderated by the Danube Commission as well as on digitalisation in the Danube Region moderated by Pro Danube Management – brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss these vital aspects of Danube transportation. While the first session aimed at identifying adequate solutions to the most common hurdles that still need to be overcome – both in terms of proper fairway maintenance as well as considering the difficulties caused by the conflict in Ukraine, the second session, on digitalisation, discussed the future of IWT in the digital age, providing concrete examples of good practices from Western, Central and Eastern Europe. It was concluded that proper navigability conditions need to be adequately ensured and maintained continuously in order to enable the functioning of reliable logistic services, whereas digitalisation is an indispensable prerequisite for the implementation of the ambitious climate goals enshrined in the European Green Deal. 

We would like to use this opportunity to thank our speakers for sharing insights into their various fields of activities and, at the same time, to kindly invite you to make use of the Smart Port Barometer.

The presentations are available for download here:

Interactive session on intermodality & logistics chains

Mr. Djordje Krkljus_COMVEX_Keeping Ukrainian goods moving - Danube and the new logistic chains

Mr. Romeo Soare_AFDJ Romania_Navigability conditions, opportunities and challenges on the Lower Danube

Mr. Herfried Leitner_TTS_Keeping Upper and Middle Danube goods moving - consequences of the crisis (Ukraine and low water levels)

Session on digitalisation in the Danube Region

Mr. Werner Auer_Ennshafen Port_Danube Port Digitization - Strategy & Action Plan

Mr. Gergely Mező_RSOE_Integrated Port Information System in Hungary - KIR

Capt. Abhishek Nair_PortXchange_Port digitalisation in Rotterdam and connected ports

Dr. Valentin Cârlan_University of Antwerp_Synchro-modal logistics supported by digitalisation

Mr. Mihai Niculescu_ITS Romania_Initiatives and developments for linking multi-modal voyage planning services for passenger transport in the Danube Region

Elaborated in the framework of the DIONYSUS project, the second edition of the “Survey on Port Statistics and COVID-19 Impact” was recently launched. Ports of the Danube Region are kindly invited to dedicate 20 minutes of their valuable time to support the successful completion of this research activity which is carried out for the benefit of the entire IWT industry.

Deadline: 29 April 2022

Participate

Organised on 9 March, the second meeting of the Danube Commission’s Expert Group on Ports and Port Operations brought together more than 50 European experts ranging from the Coordinator of the Rhine-Danube Corridor, representatives of the European Commission, CINEA, as well as Pro Danube’s fellow branch organisations.

Both the DIONYSUS project, its achieved milestones for the benefit of Danube Region ports as well as the Danube Ports Network’s (DPN) ongoing activities as a knowledge facilitator and project initiator were high on the agenda. One of these recent initiatives is E4Danube – On Shore Power Supply in Danube Region Ports. While an initial presentation reflecting its early stages was delivered in the frame of the first meeting of DC’s Expert Group on Ports and Port Operations in September 2021, this week’s event provided the scene to present and discuss a more matured proposal.

Representing the DPN Technical Secretariat, Mr. Robert Rafael highlighted the advantages and challenges of on-shore power supply (OPS) in the greening process of Danube ports considering the ambitious legislation adopted by the European Union in terms of climate neutrality. The aim of the project is to investigate the economic viability of on-shore power supply in ports, including the applicable sourcing options as well as the uptake by vessels and potential other users in the Danube Region. The presentation highlighted that several aspects such as environmental, technical, legal, and infrastructural requirements need to be considered along specific “port location types”: ports in cities, ports in industrial areas, and remote ports, whereas lessons learned from already implemented solutions have to be considered.

Given that the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy clearly states that “Inland and sea ports have a great potential to become new clean energy hubs for integrated electricity systems (…)”, best case solutions and applicable pathways for the deployment of OPS as well as for energy storage facilities shall be investigated. The relevance of this initiative is furthermore grounded by the NAIADES III action plan and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. Considering the ongoing revision of the TEN-T Regulation, keeping a sharp eye on its revised legal requirements is essential. The presentation furthermore touched upon another vital aspect – funding opportunities.

DPN’s intervention initiated a fruitful discussion among experts from the Danube-riparian countries in view of applicability, economic viability, and environmental impact. It was concluded that OPS indeed has the capacity to play an essential role in the greening transition of Danube inland and sea ports. The successful greening transition of Danube ports must be tackled as a joint transnational effort having the corridor approach as a priority, for which the DPN is ready to provide its full support.

The presentation is available for download here.

On 23 November, more than 100 stakeholders from the public and the private sector participated in the transnational workshop on digitalization in Inland Waterway Transportation (IWT). The workshop was a joint initiative of the European projects Platina 3, Masterplan DIWA, RIS COMEX and DIONYSUS and the sector organizations Pro Danube Management, EICB and the IWT Platform with the support of the DPN.

The workshop focused on how digital transformation can support business activities and reporting formalities in the upcoming years. Participants provided valuable inputs regarding further requirements on synchromodality, ICT infrastructure, River Information Services and Smart Shipping, data sharing & integration, cybersecurity and compliance.

During the plenary part of the workshop, the 4 projects were introduced by short interviews moderated by the Master of Ceremony Henk van Laar. The workshop perfectly fitted into the timelines of each project, as currently project partners of PLATINA3, Dionysus and the masterplan DIWA are working on collecting input for their dedicated studies, yet at the same time giving them the chance to share intermediate results with a wide range of experts. The RIS COMEX project will launch its European fairway information portal ‘EuRIS’ in the course of 2022.

Four themes
After the break, the participants joined either one of the four break-out rooms to go into more detail and moreover to share opportunities, requirements and discuss how relevant authorities together with the industry representatives can support a successful digital transformation in IWT.

The themes of the four break out rooms were:

• Smart Shipping
• Synchro modality
• River Information Services
• Sea and inland ports

This thematic approach resulted in lively discussions and new expert inputs relevant for all of the European projects. During the final plenary part, the results of the discussions in the break-out rooms were shared with all the participants. Representatives from European Commission’s DG MOVE congratulated the initiative and highlighted the need for similar future cooperation activities of the IWT sector in Europe.