NEWS - Development of a Next generation European Inland Waterway Ship and Logistics System

West Region Development Agency has won a new project funded by European Union Framework Programme 7: Development of a Next generation European Inland Waterway Ship and Logistics System (NEWS).

The international partners are universities and companies from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Serbia and the project coordinator is Vienna University of Technology (Austria).

NEWS strategic objective is to develop an eco-friendly logistics system and energy efficient domestic transport by inland vessels adapted to market demand by using river transport ships with innovative navigational capabilities.

NEWS project will start on 01 February 2013 and will last 30 months. The budget of the entire project is approx. 2.5 MEuro.

It was necessary to create NEWS project because the cargo transport on inland waters is not used to its full potential, the transport on the Danube is only 10-20% of the Rhine. Thus, NEWS will support the goal of EU Strategy for the Danube Region to increase inland cargo transport by 20% in 2020 compared to 2010 making transport more efficient in terms of cost and resources.

The existence of the patent for new type of container ship, the ship will be developed in the project will provide economic and environmental benefits and the transport and logistics chain in Danube region will be integrated to cargo transportation on rivers in EU.

NEWS project essential outcome will be obtaining a business plan to bring the new container to the market. Other results of the project will be: new patents, new propulsion systems, concepts that can be marketed - logistics, transportation - based on standardization, modularization

Partners of NEWS project:

• - Vienna University of Technology (Austria) - Project Coordinatort
• - Ziviltechniker DI Anzböck (Austria)
• - Helogistics (Austria)
• - West Regional Development Agency (Romania)
• - Lindenau Maritime Engineering and Projecting (Germany)
• - Duisburg-Essen (Germany)
• - Dortmund University (Germany)
• - Novi Sad University (Serbia)
• - Intermodal Concepts & Management (Switzerland)
• - Projektkompetenz.eu (Austria)

Improvement of the infrastructure and economic performance of the inland waterways navigation is a major objective which the European Commission is aiming for by supporting the Development of a Next generation European inland Waterway Ship and logistics system (NEWS) initiative which West RDA joined at the beginning of 2013. The main objective is to increase transport flows on inland waterways (especially container transport on the Danube) by developing a next generation European inland waterway ship and logistics system to make inland waterway transport more economically, ecologically and time efficient.

In order to achieve these goals, analyzing the state of the art of the Danube transport of goods and development opportunities is a vital process within which port administrations role is essential. We regard your input as most valuable and we are, therefore, kindly asking for your support by filling in a questionnaire regarding transport and intermodal facilities available within your port terminal(s). 

The questionaire can be downloaded here...

By providing us with the information from the questionnaire you will help us extensively in designing an informative and effective research groundwork which will be at the core of the concepts for transport flows and infrastructure we aim to develop and customize. In addition, we kindly ask you to provide us the details of the person we can contact for follow-up, as well as for keeping you up to date with our progress and relevant news.

We would be grateful if you could take the time to download the questionnaire form, fill it in and send it to cristin.cistelecan@adrvest.ro by 28^th of October.