Implementation of the digitalisation vision for inland waterway transport as part of the European Green Deal

Implementation of the digitalisation vision for inland waterway transport as part of the European Green Deal. he Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy underlines the need to increase the use of more sustainable transport modes and indicated that the modal share of inland waterway transport and shortsea shipping should increase by 25% by 2030 and by 50% by 2050. To do so, the NAIADES III Communication indicates that digitalisation and automation are essential to reach these goals and to improve the sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness of inland waterway transport . The Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy requires that the transport sector’s emissions are reduced by 90% by 2050.

To support achievement of these goals digitalisation is thereby seen as an indispensable driver for the modernisation of the entire transport system, making it seamless and more efficient, increasing the levels of safety, security, reliability, and comfort, whilst improving Europe’s global competitiveness through efficient and resilient logistics chains. One of the objectives set out in the NAIADES III Communication is to make inland waterway transport smarter, i.a. by further advancing the digitalization of the IWT sector. It is imperative for the IWT sector to keep up with digital developments to improve the sector’s competitiveness and ensure that it becomes an active part of broader multimodal chains.

Further digitalisation can play a significant role in improving the efficiency and reliability of navigation and traffic management, better integrating inland waterway transport in logistics processes and multimodal chains and reducing the administrative burden and costs of complying with and enforcing legislation. The NAIADES III Communication foresees that the Commission will facilitate the elaboration of a holistic vision for the sector’s digitalisation with the contribution of the Digital Inland Navigation Area, NAIADES Expert Groups In order to meet these digitalisation challenges, the following (draft) vision for a digital inland waterway area by 2025 is put forward: By 2035, inland waterway transport in the European Union is a competitive, innovative connected, cyber secure and digital by default mode of transport which is fully harnessing the potential of digital technologies and emerging solutions, enabling seamless integration with other modes of transport as well as automation, by embracing the latest digital achievements and contributing to a better functioning of the Inland waterway single market. It will help overall time efficient, sustainable transport flows and support other modes to decongest.