In the dynamic world of inland waterway transport and port development, the annual Danube Ports Days event, initiated by Pro Danube in the frame of DAPhNE and further strengthened through DIONYSUS, has become a cornerstone for fostering dialogue, sharing knowledge, and shaping the future of inland ports along the Danube and well beyond.

A Tradition of Excellence

Each edition of the event has become a well-established tradition - an occasion eagerly awaited by professionals, enthusiasts, and experts alike. The series of events focused on a range of themes, including infrastructure enhancement, technological innovation, sustainability, and regulatory frameworks.

Diverse Perspectives, Comprehensive Understanding

By bringing together a diverse array of perspectives, the Danube Ports Days foster a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the ever-evolving landscape of inland waterway transport in general with a special focus on port development issues.

Collaboration in Action

This year's hybrid event, a collaborative effort by Pro Danube, the EU-funded Green Inland Ports Study, MultiRELOAD, Innovation Action SYNERGETICS projects, and with support from the Danube Ports Network, was a resounding success. The two-day event, held on 23 and 24 November in Vienna, provided a unique platform for participants to explore innovative tools and solutions geared towards achieving green objectives, sharing experiences, addressing common challenges, and staying updated on the latest industry developments. With a specific focus on the European Green Deal, the Danube Ports Days aimed to facilitate collaboration between public and private entities, fostering know-how sharing and feedback collection in pursuit of the ambitious climate targets enshrined in the European Green Deal.

Missed the Event? No Problem

We're delighted to announce that the presentations and recordings from this groundbreaking event are available for download here. Dive into the wealth of insights and expertise shared at Danube Ports Days 2023 here. THANK YOU to all contributors, partners, and attendees for making Danube Ports Days a cornerstone in shaping the future of inland waterway transport!

Multimodal transportation solutions are the most promising facete for the future of the entire IWT sector. Imagine the endless possibilities if the sector could provide consolidation services with a minimum order size of one single unit, from door to door and the main distance transported by a vessel.

Watch our short video and learn more about our concept:

Volumes of the EU freight transport sector is expected to increase by 80% until 2050. To absorb this growth, enlargement of the existing road network or building of new highways shall be avoided as long as we have free capacities on the inland waterways.

Currently the transportation chain by inland vessel is characterized by having mainly one seller - one buyer - one product - transported by one vessel. To use inland waterways to its maximum, IWT must become much more accessible for small and midsize customers, which would never be able to send a shipload of at least 1000 tonnes. Therefore, the sector needs new ideas which can turn it into a multimodal system, making it accessible for 20, 50 or 100 tonnes shipments.

Connecting multiple sellers and buyers and the usage of multimodal equipment will create a win-win situation for carriers and shippers, creating new business models for fertilizer, grains or even the general freight transport industry. Transshipments would be less affected by negative externalities, therefore, cargo loss, low water surcharges or interim storage costs could be reduced significantly, and cycle time would become more predictable. By introducing multimodal solutions for the transport of any cargo, as long as it is containerized, the EU could get closer to achieve its green objectives, hence, it will be able to reach the target of increasing the sector volumes by 25% till 2030 and respectively by 50% until 2050.

thinkport VIENNA has just started the MultiRELOAD Open Innovation challenge. Let's see what this means.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ON INLAND WATERWAYS – TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

We are looking for cost-effective solutions that help to „revolutionize“ the existing transport market. The aim is to demonstrate ideas on how multimodal transports of part loads of different products/goods (bulk goods and general cargo – also palletized) on inland waterways are possible.

MultiRELOAD is an European cooperation for the development of innovative inland port solutions for efficient, effective and sustainable multimodality. It enhances the collaboration between different freight nodes in Europe to jointly test innovations and create favourable market conditions for multimodal freight transport solutions. To this end, MultiRELOAD will demonstrate solutions in three Innovation Areas with specific aims by 2025, mirroring the measures of the EU’s Smart Mobility Strategy. For more details see also: MultiRELOAD

OPEN INNOVATION CHALLENGE (OIC): be part of the innovation process —>>>be part of it: REGISTER HERE<<<—

• Innovation Challenges are published innovation needs that help to find relevant ideas, technologies, and innovative approaches to solving specific problems in a kind of competition.
• Method to generate innovative ideas and new solution approaches.
• Participants are asked to generate ideas for developing or improving products, services, processes or customer experiences.
• Organizers will stay in contact with the participants of the challenge through regular updates, needed input and feedback.
• Innovators with the best-fit solutions will be selected at the end to participate in the co-development, testing and launch of their ideas.

WHAT: Agricultural products are currently only transported in bulk on inland waterways in quantities of over 1,000 tons. Smaller quantities are transported by rail or – primarily – by truck. We are looking for cost-effective solutions that help to „revolutionize“ the existing transport market. The aim is to demonstrate ideas on how multimodal transports of part loads of different goods (bulk goods and general cargo – also palletized) on inland waterways are possible.

• A test pilot for a multimodal road-inland waterway transport is to be developed and implemented.
• The aim is to demonstrate that multimodal transports of part loads of different products/goods on inland waterways are possible.
• The desired solution should enable the transport of bulk goods and general cargo (also palletized).

Submit now and win! The OIC brings innovations that have emerged through the strength of the crowd onto the stage and awards the idea bringers together with the implementing companies. As an idea provider, you have the initial spark for sustainable change in inland waterway transportation?

WHY IS IT GOOD TO BE PART OF IT:

• As a winner, you’ll be at the center of the intermodal port scene: the OIC is your ticket to networking with key players such as the Port of Vienna and Port of Duisburg and to PR activities. There is a chance to implement the idea with the partners of the project.
• The MultiRELOAD OIC increases the visibility of your project in the whole D-A-CH area.
• The best ideas will be awarded, there will be prizes for the winners.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS (Deadline: 07.12.2023):

• Why is it important to register for the Challenge: On the platform, users have the opportunity to rate ideas, communicate with each other or submit ideas themselves. Since this is an interactive process, a low-threshold registration on the platform is necessary.
• —>>>be part of it: REGISTER HERE<<<—
• go to Challenges and select MultiRELOAD
• click VIEW DETAILS button
• click SUBMIT button

The MultiRELOAD project receives funding under the Horizon Europe Call “Safe, Resilient Transport and Smart Mobility services for passengers and goods” | Call ID: HORIZON-CL5-2021-D6-01, Grant ID: 101069796.