Organised on the 8th of April within the frame of the first PLATINA3 Stage Event, session 6 entitled “Let’s make IWT a reliable partner of synchromodal logistics chains using smart waterways”, addressed key aspects dealt with by two separate PLATINA3 project tasks, but at the same very complementary, – on the one hand Task 1.3 dealing with assessing the needs and requirements for integrating IWT into synchromodal logistics chains and, on the other hand, Task 4.3 touching upon digital & automation tools for inland navigation, inland & seaports.Pro Danube Management GmbH together with the Austrian waterway administration viadonau held a three and a half hour interactive session with highly experienced speakers representing both the policy perspective as well as the industry needs & trends, speakers that have agreed to join forces and reflect on the challenges and opportunities to achieve a fully integrated transport system within a well synchronized and smart European transport network, with IWT being a reliable partner in the logistics chains.
In this sense, the perspectives of several speakers representing four focus areas have been successfully introduced, such as:
- The policy framework side: the speaker from the European Commission/DG MOVE provided an insight into several relevant EU policies & actions in relation to transport & digital related initiatives, taking into account the environmental targets, initiatives meant to support - for example - the use of smart technologies that provide reliable fairway & port information and hence contribute to attracting new cargoes and volumes.
- The branch organisation ALICE, the alliance for logistics innovation in Europe – representing the bridge towards the logistics sector arena, introducing the prerequisites for manufacturers/shippers and their supply chains to promote synchromodality and include IWT in their distribution network as well as to promote a smooth integration with the other modes of transport.
- The third area covered was the industry side, having a dedicated focus on supply chain solutions – three top actors from the Danube Region active along European supply chains (among which the oil&gas company OMV, the trimodal container terminal WIENCONT & the logistics service provider Rhenus Logistics) reflected on smart technologies, tools and applications they are currently using in their daily operations as well as various requirements for - depending on which side of the supply chain they are - making use/providing fully integrated supply chain solutions & services.
- The project side & their contributions – Besides the introduction to the PLATINA 3 project, the session presented three other funded projects (DIWA, PhysICAL, RIS COMEX) looking into solutions to support the sector in the digital development, giving the audience an insight to their research results.
We hereby would like to use this opportunity and thank the organisers & moderators Mr Robert Rafael, Ms Ruxandra Florescu and Mr Juha Schweighofer, all speakers (Mr Mario Sattler, Mr Fernando Liesa, Mr Thomas Herics, Mr Harald Jony, Mr Gerhard Gussmagg, Mr Matthias Prandtstetter and Mr Mario Kaufmann) as well as participants for their valuable contributions and the interactive exchange of ideas aiming to a higher share of the competitive inland waterway transport in the complete logistics chains.
Presentations are available at: https://platina3.eu/event/budapest/