European Commission signs Grant Agreement: Official start of PROMINENT

With the signature of INEA (Innovation & Networks Executive Agency of the European Commission) on the Grant Agreement of PROMINENT, the project will officially start on the 1st of May 2015. PROMINENT is a multiannual research- and implementation program for the inland navigation industry. The program focusses on research, testing and introducing economically viable, safe and green alternative energy concepts and technologies for the European inland navigation industry. In total, the European Commission will invest € 6.3 million Euros over a period of three years, by means of the Horizon 2020 program, the research- and innovation program of the European Commission.
Innovation and greening of the IWT fleet
The European IWT fleet consists of approximately 18.000 vessels (and 40.000 crew) members and plays a crucial role in the transport chain. The sector has a large potential to green the transport chain and reduce congestion on the European roads by shifting cargo to the inland waterway transport sector. During the last years, the European Commission and the partners of the consortium have been investing in the promotion of (technological) innovations in the inland navigation industry. Previous projects are amongst others PLATINA and PLATINA-II, which support the European Commission with the implementation of NAIADES and NAIADES-II. PROMINENT will be active until the 30th of April 2018 and consists of fourteen different projects executed by project partners out of five Member States of the EU. PROMINENT focusses mainly on the realisation of cost efficient standard solutions applicable to minimum seventy percent of the European inland navigation fleet. Herewith relatively expensive innovations will be made available for ship owning companies who face problems to finance these innovations.
Project partners
The STC-Group, with its headquarters in Rotterdam, will coordinate the project. Sixteen other partners will participate in PROMINENT: Via Donau, Stichting Projecten Binnenvaart, Pro Danube Management GmbH, Ecorys Nederland B.V., TÜV Nord Mobilität GmbH & Co, Entwicklungszentrum für Schiffstechnik und Transportsysteme GmbH, Universitatea di Craiova, TNO, FHOO Forschungs & Entwicklungs GmbH, Panteia B.V., Compania de Navigatie Fuviala Romana Navrom SA, ADS Propulsion B.V., Wartsilä Nederland B.V., SGS Nederland B.V., Multitronic N.V., Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 633929.