Pro Danube - News

: 04 November 2021

CEF Co-Funded FAIRway Danube Project's Final Event

After more than 6 years of intensive teamwork for improved fairway conditions on the Danube, the FAIRway Danube project, coordinated by the Austrian BMK and viadonau, together with the Danube-riparian waterway manager organisations, has come to an end. The results are something to be proud of as they are a major step forward in securing an uninterrupted transport flow along the Danube. On behalf of the Danube IWT industry, the final event of the project was attended by Pro Danube's members TTS and DP World Constanța and PDI's President and General Secretary.

During the event the beneficiaries have provided an overview of the results delivered, including the marking and surveying equipment, the water level displaying and forecasting tools, and also some related projects, such as the upgrade of the locks at Gabcikovo.

The European Coordinator for the Rhine-Danube Corridor and the participants of the panel discussions welcomed the results and demanded for the continuation of the good path, whereas also reflected the current challenges with regards to the water level.

In the Pro Danube intervention, Mr. Leitner and Mr. Rafael highlighted the achievements of FAIRway from the perspective of the Danube IWT industry. It is a well-known fact that economically viable transport services are dependent on stable and predictable fairway conditions. In light of the recent legislative developments at the European level which pave the way towards climate neutrality, proper fairway conditions and adequate infrastructure facilities are key prerequisites to increase and further strengthen IWT's competitiveness. They have also highlighted the further needs and the involvement of the sector in the pro-active waterway management and maintenance as stated in PDI´s Call for Action from September 2021.

The presentation delivered by PDI during the event is available for download here.

More information on the project can be retrieved under www.fairwaydanube.eu.

: 29 October 2021

Save the Date: Danube Ports Day 2021 & Workshop on Digitalisation of IWT

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Rolled out in the framework of the DIONYSUS project and with the support of the Danube Ports Network (DPN), the Danube Ports Day 2021 event is meant to continue the well-established practice in the DAPHNE project by holding events dedicated to port affairs providing insights into the policy framework and concrete examples of development works and projects as well as to trigger future key actions meant to place Danube Region ports as ideal locations for setting up businesses relying on waterborne infrastructure.

The 2021 edition is organised by the Port Authority Vukovar in close cooperation with Pro Danube Management and shall facilitate a structured discussion on port development opportunities touching on topics such as (a) (urban) mobility, (b) electrification, and (c) port logistics.

Date & time: 23 November 2021 / 10:00 – 12:30 (CET)
Location: online (Teams) based on prior registration
Agenda: here
Registration: here

Following the Danube Ports Day event, a digitalisation workshop entitled "Opportunities & requirements for the digitalisation of Inland Waterway Transport" initiated by Platina3, DIWA, RIS COMEX, DIONYSUS, and the sector representatives Pro Danube, EICB, and the IWT Platform, will be organised. The workshop focuses on how digital transformation can support business activities and reporting formalities in the upcoming years. To this end, it will collect valuable inputs regarding further requirements on synchromodality, ICT infrastructure, River Information Services and Smart Shipping, data sharing & integration, cybersecurity and compliance. The event is structured along four break-out rooms which focus on i) smart shipping, ii) synchromodality, iii) RIS and iv) sea and inland ports (supported by the Danube Ports Network), complemented by a plenary session.

The aim of the workshop is to bring together a wide range of expertise and professional insights from shippers, barge owners, and operators, logistics service providers, representatives of ports and terminal operators as well as technology providers and authorities interested in the latest developments in the field of digital transformation, automation and data sharing in IWT.

Date and time: 23 November 2021 / 13:30 – 16:30 (CET)
Location: online, based on prior registration
Agenda: here

Further information and registration are available here.

: 11 October 2021

Pro Danube at the NOVIMAR Final Event

A proud member of the NOVIMAR Consortium, Pro Danube was invited to participate at the closing event of the project organised in the Port of Antwerp. NOVIMAR – the result of a fruitful collaboration among logistic operators, the waterborne industry, public entities as well as research organisations, provided, after 4 and a half years of extensive research activities, tangible results in the field of the vessel train concept and the accompanying technical research & innovations. By bringing together a wide range of experts from academia, the business environment as well as policymakers, the final event discussed – in the aftermath of the EU’s ambitious plan to become the first climate-neutral continent – the role of the vessel train in achieving climate neutrality. It was unanimously agreed that the vessel train concept has the capacity to significantly increase the flexibility of cargo destinations, secure the optimal use of waterways, and support a more efficient crew deployment.

Bringing in the Danube Region’s perspective, Pro Danube was represented by its General Manager, Robert Rafael. In his intervention, Mr. Rafael highlighted the specific needs and requirements of Danube IWT to efficiently adapt to the new European legislative framework in terms of innovative technologies uptake. Another hot topic touched upon during his intervention referred to container shipping on the Danube. Unlike in the case of the Rhine or other inland waterways of Western Europe, this type of transport is inadequately developed mainly due to improper waterway infrastructure. This ultimately leads to low predictability which in the end has a detrimental impact on the investment capacities of the businesses operating on the Danube. Nevertheless, even though there is still high level of attention to be dedicated, important steps forward in securing proper fairway conditions have been registered. Pro Danube, by acting as a harmonised voice of the Danube IWT industry, was actively involved in numerous actions to tackle this issue. Mr. Rafael concluded that creating a stable framework by putting Danube IWT high on the policy agenda is essential. Equally important are proper, easy-to-access and less bureaucratic EU and national funding opportunities. Modern infrastructure, well-qualified crew, green and energy-efficient vessel are key prerequisites to further strengthen the Danube’s role as the transport backbone of the entire region.

The NOVIMAR project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No. 723009 and is coordinated by the Netherlands Maritime Technology Foundation.

The recorded event of the NOVIMAR closing event can be accessed here.

: 04 October 2021

PDI welcomes the Adoption of the Report "Towards Future-Proof IWT in Europe"

Pro Danube International welcomes the Report "Towards Future-Proof Inland Waterway Transport in Europe" initiated by MEP Caroline Nagtegaal and adopted by the European Parliament that recognizes IWT's crucial role in achieving the ambitious objectives of the European Green Deal. In achieving IWT's ultimate goal in becoming climate neutral, the report stresses that adequate "investments in expanding, updating and upgrading the physical and digital infrastructure of inland waterways" are essential prerequisites. Likewise important is the development of inland and seaports as multimodal nodes in the transnational logistics system as well as the human-resources aspects in providing appropriate working conditions, modernising the inland navigation education and training system, and last but not least, to encourage the development of research and innovation within the sector.

The report is available for download here.