DIC joined partners from the SEAWISE, INNOWATR, and SETO projects for a productive alignment meeting in Ghent, Belgium, exploring shared research interests across sustainable inland waterway logistics and maritime emissions monitoring.
The meeting brought together a broad consortium including partners from POM Oost-Vlaanderen, Urban Waterway Logistics, OHB, the University of Strathclyde, and the University of Glasgow, alongside representatives from the InnoWaTr project (Interreg North Sea Programme) and the SETO project (Horizon Europe). The discussions centred on exchanging research results in inland navigation and marine engineering, and identifying opportunities for collaboration in future European research programmes.
Three project threads were presented and discussed: the INNOWATR project’s work on city freight distribution via water — covering construction materials, waste, food and beverages; the SEAWISE platform’s approach to using AIS data for vessel performance analysis and emissions assessment; and the SETO project’s digital platform connecting transport authorities and operators.
The visit included field trips to three significant facilities in the region. The group visited Fabriek Logistiek, a state-of-the-art open-source test centre for warehousing techniques in Ghent; the Lock Control Center of De Vlaamse Waterweg (Flemish Waterways); and the Flanders Maritime Laboratory in Ostend, which hosts two model-scale research facilities — a Coastal & Ocean Basin and a Towing Tank for Manoeuvres in Shallow Water — serving the maritime industry.
The meeting reinforced the strong potential for cross-project and cross-border cooperation, and DIC looks forward to building on these connections in forthcoming European research initiatives.
