EU-Wide Advantages and Opportunities of the Call “Integrating inland waterway transport in smart shipping and multimodal logistics chains” (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10)

1. Single Market Access – 450 + Million Consumers

• Door-to-door reach across 27 Member States: By embedding IWT into synchromodal chains (road–rail–sea–IWT), the project allows cargo owners to serve every EU region without mode-switching frictions.

• Elimination of national digital silos: Developing common data-sharing components directly supports the free movement of goods enshrined in Art. 26 TFEU, lowering transaction costs for shippers in all countries.

• Faster customs & “green lane” processing at internal borders through harmonised eFTI, RIS and EMDS compliance increases market responsiveness to >450 million consumers.

2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange

• Mandatory multi-country pilots (≥ 4) incentivise consortia that mix Rhine–Danube–Seine–Elbe basins, stimulating best-practice transfer between mature and emerging IWT regions.

• Pan-European testbeds at TRL 7+ offer real-world datasets that are otherwise impossible to collect within a single state, accelerating AI algorithm learning curves.

• Industry–research–authority triple helix: Freight forwarders, ports, class societies (CESNI), and RIS authorities jointly co-design solutions, building a replicable cooperation template for future CEF and Interreg projects.

3. Alignment with Core EU Strategies

• European Green Deal & Fit-for-55: Modal shift to IWT can cut CO₂ by 75 % per tonne-km versus road; the project provides quantified evidence, feeding into the 90 % emission-cut ambition for 2050.

• Sustainable & Smart Mobility Strategy: Directly answers the 25 % inland/short-sea target for freight by 2030 and the NAIADES III flagship on digitalisation.

• Digital Europe & Data Act: Development of interoperable data layers operationalises the European Mobility Data Space, turning policy into deployable code and standards.

• TEN-T revision: Demonstrations along Core Network Corridors strengthen the business case for future CEF II infrastructure co-funding.

4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits

• Pathway to a single EU “Smart Shipping Licence”: Recommendations derived from pilots can remove today’s patchwork of national rules on remote-controlled or automated vessels.

• Standardisation leverage: Early engagement with CEN/CENELEC & CESNI ensures that project outputs translate into European standards (e.g., EN ISO, CESNI-TI), de-risking private investment.

• Reduced compliance cost for operators active in multiple Member States, making SMEs more competitive EU-wide.

5. Access to Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem

• Link-up with >200 Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) specialised in maritime & logistics, giving SMEs low-cost testing, training and HPC resources.

• Synergies with KICs (EIT Urban Mobility, EIT Digital) for commercialisation coaching and venture capital matchmaking.

• Leverage of EU research infrastructure (e.g., JRC, EMSA’s IALA testbeds, European Marine Observation & Data Network) for advanced simulations, bathymetric data and satellite AIS.

6. Funding & Instrument Synergies

• Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Blending: Results can be scaled via CEF-Transport calls to finance physical infrastructure upgrades (locks, quays, RIS).

• Innovation Fund / LIFE Clean Energy: Demonstrated GHG reductions strengthen eligibility for subsequent large-scale deployment grants or carbon-contract-for-difference schemes.

• Regional funds (ERDF, Interreg): Regions crossed by pilots can co-finance local adaptations, multiplying Horizon budgets and ensuring cohesion.

• EIB & InvestEU: Validated business models and quantified externalities facilitate loan or guarantee approvals for fleet retrofits or newbuilds.

7. Scale, Replicability & Impact Potential

• EU-wide deployment blueprint: Harmonised data interfaces mean that any port or logistics IT platform can plug-and-play, enabling rapid roll-out beyond pilot sites.

• Network effect on modal share: Each additional connected waterway or terminal exponentially increases routing options, supporting the 30 % shift from road to IWT/rail by 2030.

• Social impact across Member States: Greener supply chains improve air quality along major corridors, directly benefiting 100 + cities within 10 km of inland waterways.

• Economic resilience: Diversification of freight routes limits single-mode disruptions (e.g., driver shortages), strengthening the Single Market’s strategic autonomy.

8. Actionable Opportunities for Applicants

1. Form tri-partite consortia: Combine tech SMEs (AI, IoT), logistics integrators and waterway authorities from at least three river basins to maximise points on excellence & impact.

2. Exploit legacy platforms: Interface with existing Cargo Community Systems (e.g., Portbase NL, RheinPorts) rather than building new ones—fully aligned with scope restrictions.

3. Integrate high-value datasets: Offer to publish anonymised operational data as “high-value” under the Open Data Directive, boosting dissemination scores.

4. Prepare CEF follow-up packages: Design pilots that can transition to CEF works within 24 months, demonstrating a credible scaling roadmap.

5. Engage standard bodies early: Budget for participation in CESNI working groups to fast-track regulatory recommendations into technical standards.

6. Run EU-wide awareness campaigns: Use the EU Sustainable Energy Week or TEN-T Days as multiplier events, satisfying the call’s outreach requirement.

9. Strategic Value of Acting at EU Level vs. National Level

• Only an EU-level action can harmonise rules, data protocols and certification, eliminating the principal barriers that are inherently transnational.

• The critical mass of cargo flows required to justify automated vessels emerges solely when multiple Member States pool demand.

• Network externalities: Benefits (CO₂, congestion relief) scale super-linearly with geographic coverage; a national project would capture only a fraction of these.

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By leveraging the EU Single Market, shared regulatory space and unrivalled R&I ecosystem, successful consortia can unlock a step-change in inland waterway competitiveness, driving both green transition goals and European industrial leadership in smart, autonomous logistics.