On 2 and 3 March, partners of the InnoWaTr project gathered in Gothenburg for a two-day meeting focused on collaboration, progress and the next steps for InnoWaTr Hosted by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, the meeting brought together partners from across the North Sea Region to exchange insights and prepare for the final phase of the project.
Gothenburg is one of Scandinavia’s most important port cities and has a strong maritime tradition, as well as a growing interest in sustainable waterborne freight. This makes it a fitting location for InnoWaTr, which aims to unlock the potential of smaller inland waterway transport (IWT) networks through innovation and collaboration.
Connecting regional ambitions with InnoWaTr: the RISE perspective
RISE plays an important role within the InnoWaTr partnership by contributing expertise in maritime innovation and sustainable transport solutions. By hosting the meeting, the Swedish partners provided an opportunity to connect international developments with regional ambitions to further develop waterborne freight and sustainable logistics.
Sara Kilicaslan, project manager and researcher at RISE, explains:
“It feels great to welcome the InnoWaTr partners back to Gothenburg, where we hosted our first project week in 2023. Since then, we have moved from planning to seeing real results. We have learned a lot from the experiences of other countries in the project. At RISE, it has been especially exciting to contribute to the development of a digital platform, helping make short sea shipping more accessible and transparent for cargo owners.”
Reviewing Progress and Preparing the Final Event
During the meeting, partners reviewed the progress made across the project and discussed the next steps towards delivering results. The first day focused on updates and discussions related to Work Packages 1, 2 and 3, including project activities, output, and indicators. This was followed by a Steering Committee meeting.
The second day focused on communication activities and preparations for the InnoWaTr Final Event, where the project’s innovations and results will be presented. Registration for the final event is already open:
https://www.interregnorthsea.eu/innowatr/events/save-the-date-innowatr-final-event
Moving Forward Together
The meeting once again highlighted the value of collaboration within the InnoWaTr partnership. By bringing together research institutions, public authorities and industry partners, the project continues to develop solutions that support more sustainable and innovative inland waterway transport across the North Sea Region.
A special thank you goes to RISE for organising and hosting the meeting at the SSPA Maritime Center.