At InnoWaTr, we are working to accelerate the shift toward sustainable inland waterway transport by testing new concepts, gathering data and building strong coalitions around promising freight flows. As we enter the final six months of the project, the Field Flow Coalitions (FFC’s) are progressing. In this article, we sharethe latest achievements the lessons learned and plans for the coming period of the Swedish and German FFC’s.
FFC 1 Sweden – A Digital Platform Helps Shippers Navigate Greener Choices
FFC 1 (partners: Seadvise, RISE and University of Gothenburg) has developed a digital platform that enables shippers to compare waterborne transport options on both cost and environmental impact. The platform, now available as seadvi.se, gives companies the ability to explore alternative logistics routes in a clear and user-friendly way. The goal is to make waterborne transport more visible and more attractive for everyday logistics decisions.
Progress and insights
The platform is already used by several shippers. This confirms that the concept addresses a real need in the market. At the same time, that uptake requires more than technology alone. Users are asking for a wider geographical scope and it remains difficult to obtain reliable price information from shipowners.
Next steps
A beta version of the platform, covering northern European ports, and also adding ro/ro and container services is just now released. This includes expanding route options, adding services and analyzing usage data. And planning of Seadvise 2.0 is in progress, with even more features such as insights and indexes. The team is also refining methods for calculating the environmental benefits of shifting from road to water. These efforts deepen the understanding of how digital tools can support more sustainable transport decisions.
FFC2 - Greening Container Transport HH‑HB
FFC2 (partners: Rhenus Partnership Hanse and Wirtschaftsverband Weser e.V.) aims to develop a reliable inland-waterway barge line for container transport between Hamburg (HH) and Bremen / Bremerhaven (HB). The goal is to offer a sustainable, permanent alternative to road transport for container flows. The route spans Hamburg, the Mittelland Canal, Bremen and Bremerhaven, using optimized ports of call to improve operational efficiency, increase container volumes, and provide a predictable, greener logistics service.
Progress and insights
During the reporting period, FFC2 (Wirtschaftsverband Weser with Rhenus Partnership Hanse) further developed the concept for greener inland waterway transport in the Hamburg–Bremen/Bremerhaven corridor and consolidated lessons learned from earlier activities. A key insight is that direct container demand between Hamburg and Bremerhaven has historically been low; in previous attempts, bulk and project cargo played a stronger role than containers. Therefore, the pilot approach increasingly focuses on traffic combinations that include Mittelland Canal ports and existing inland services rather than relying solely on a direct HH–BHV container flow. The project documentation also includes example transports, such as 7 containers (approx. 90 tons) from Hamburg (Wallmann) to Bremerhaven (BLG) and a transport from Hamburg (Schmidt Kanal) to Brake involving four lock passages (approx. 110 tons).
Next steps
Next, FFC2 will continue to strengthen cooperation with stakeholders to translate the refined concept into a feasible pilot pathway, with particular attention to operational requirements and market needs. The work will build on the Mittelland Canal integration approach and explore additional traffic combinations involving local inland ports. At the same time, the partners will keep monitoring and responding to market signals, as requests for a direct HH–BHV container barge service do occur even if they do not always materialise into a confirmed shipment. Overall, the focus remains on improving competitiveness and supporting greener inland shipping through practical, implementable solutions.
FFC3 Hamburg – Electric Vessels Show Potential in Urban Logistics
FFC3 (partners: LIHH, TOP Mehrwert-Logistik GmbH & Co. KG, Kühne Logistics University and Bremenports GmbH & Co. KG) is exploring how the city of Hamburg can use its waterways to reduce pressure on busy roads. Two pilot cases are central to this effort. One focuses on deliveries to a large retail centre, the other focuses on supplying restaurants and bars through electric vessels.
Progress and insights
For the retail pilot on the Elbe river, a thorough data collection trip with the remote-controlled & electric research vessel SeaDragon was carried out. This generated valuable insights into real-life conditions and operation aspects as travel times, energy use and emissions. At the same time, the pilot for HoReCa deliveries on the Alster lake has shown very positive results. Deliveries with the electric vessel Cöllni were quicker and more convenient than deliveries by truck. This is especially true in areas where loading zones on land are scarce or blocked. The main points of attention are the limited capacity of the vessel and the seasonal nature of demand.
Next steps
While the insights collected from the data collection trip on the elbe river will be used to further refine the use case for a possible future FFC & uptake, HoReCa deliveries on the Alster lake will continue along a combined route to multiple customers.
A Confident Step Toward the Future
The past months show that each FFC is contributing meaningful progress. Some challenges remain, for example in market uptake, vessel capacity and data availability. Yet the collective learning process is creating valuable knowledge for the entire North Sea Region. With every pilot, every insight and every new partnership we strengthen the foundations for a more sustainable logistics system.