From 17 to 19 November 2025, the InnoWaTr consortium gathered in the vibrant city of Ghent for the fifth edition of the three-day All Partners Meeting. Hosted by Flemish partners POM, UWL and OHB, together with MAH, the meeting brought together experts, practitioners and regional representatives to continue advancing the project’s shared mission: strengthening the role of inland waterway transport (IWT) across the North Sea Region. Thank you to our hosts for the warm welcome and thoughtful organisation that shaped the days ahead.
Important city freight flows consist of construction materials, waste flows and deliveries for retail and horeca. Also in Ghent this is the case and leads to congestion, pollution and accompanying economic costs. Therefore, it would be beneficial in case some of these flows could be shifted to transport via water. A big challenge we want to take up in InnoWaTr-project.
Opening Day: Progress, Insights and Technological Pathways
The opening afternoon set the tone with a series of focused progress updates from the Freight Flow Coalitions (FFCs) and the Work Packages (WPs). Partners shared achievements, reflected on challenges and outlined the concrete steps planned for the coming months.
For example, FFC 4 presented a clear lesson learned: while emission‑free vessels are being developed, current infrastructure is not yet ready to support them. This applies to charging infrastructure, biogas availability and other alternative fuels. Besides, their next step under exploration is the possibility of every city having its own e-pusher and swap e-pusher per region. This approach offers a major advantage: shipowners appreciate the structured, regional nature of these routes. As one partner expressed, “It becomes almost like a bus system - sailing a fixed route and being able to return home by 17:00, instead of operating long international journeys.”
In addition, partners engaged in an interactive workshop led by Lars Stemmler on the Centre of Expertise. Ideas were exchanged, improvements proposed and practical considerations mapped out collaboratively. Curious to learn more about the Centre of Expertise? Visit our Solutions page to explore its vision and goals.
Strategic Workshops and Communication
Day two began with continued updates before expanding into broader strategic discussions. A transnational workshop allowed partners to jointly explore shared ambitions, compare national contexts and work together on solutions that transcend borders. These conversations were followed by sessions focused on communication and preparations for the project’s final event.
Reflections on Collaboration and Innovation
The final morning concluded with the Steering Committee meeting, dedicated to governance, administrative matters and the project’s forward trajectory. Reflecting on the meeting, host partner Tom Pauwels emphasised the value of bringing the consortium to Ghent: “Bringing together the international project partners to the City of Ghent has led to new insights about convincing stakeholders to support the use of inland navigation for city freight distribution.” His reflection captures the heart of the gathering: collaboration as a catalyst for innovation, shared space as a driver of new perspectives and the power of collective effort to advance sustainable inland waterway transport.
Together, we move ahead.
