Pro Danube - News

: 09 December 2021

IWT Digitalisation Workshop Successfully Organised

On the 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.

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.

: 30 November 2021

Danube Ports Day 2021 Successfully Organised on 23 November

The 2021 Danube Ports Day was successfully organised in the frame of the DIONYSUS project by the teams of Pro Danube Management and the Port Authority Vukovar, with the support of the Danube Ports Network.

The event brought together more than 70 experts from the Danube Region and beyond, interested in topics related to (i) the potential of inland ports in urban mobility, (ii) fleet electrification as well as (iii) sustainable port logistics solutions.

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: 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.