Welcome to the #IWTS 2.0 – Innovation Challenge: It is an event with new and exciting ideas around two questions:

• What fundamental economic and political change is needed to position inland shipping as a key enabler in a future CO2-reduced transport system?
• In what form can inland shipping benefit from increased digitization of logistics?

Contribute with an idea:

We invite students of European universities and young professionals to compete for the most innovative ideas to make inland navigation more attractive. Apply as an individual or as a group with your idea and secure your speaking slot on the #IWTS 2.0 – Innovation Challenge. Working language will be German, although contributions can be in English language.

Join as an attendee:

Join the #IWTS 2.0 – Innovation Challenge as an attendee and listen to new and innovative ideas around inland naviagation. A Transport Lab is open to all attendees of the event to simulate real-life decision making in inland shipping.

Want to learn more? Want to register? Click here!

Inland navigation offers direct connections to most deepsea ports in North-western Europe. Especially for containers, bulk and project cargoes, the advantages of inland navigation brought to bear. Depending on the size of the river or canal an inland waterway vessel can be up to 135m long and be able to carry around 5.300t. Due to capacity reserves on inland waterways barges are mostly punctual and dependable.

Discover here how it works!

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Explore the examples!

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Inland navigation is more innovative than you might think. Here are some examples which might even encourage you to think of some innovative concept for a custom-made solution by yourself!

First of all, there are the trends like digitalisation or the sharing of freight information and vessel pooling for a higher vessel utilisation. Then there is the idea of selfgeared inland vessels. Furthermore, there are concepts for metropoles addressing the enormous everyday traffic on the roads. Inland vessels could be used like watertrucks in a combination of push boats and barges or small self-propelled vessels using also very small waterways.

Explore the examples!

Learn about the trends in inland shipping. File credits: OECD
The “Masterplan Binnenschifffahrt” of the Federal Ministry for Transportation and Digitisation, Germany: A political roadmap. File credits: BMVI
See how port companies share freight information to pool vessel usage. Video credits: Frisian Ports
Demonstrating the use of urban and inland waterways – for densely populated cities and more sustainable transport
Demonstrating the use of inland waterways in Sweden
How do your drinks get to your local pub? Demonstrating the use of urban waterways: The beer boat – an all electric urban supply vessel. File courtesy of: Inland Navigation Europe
Inland waterways transport for city logistics: a review of experiences and the role of local public authorities File courtesy of: Inland Navigation Europe
The NEWS project has developed a Next Generation European Inland Waterway Ship and logistics system to make container transport on inland waterways more cost-, time- and ecologically efficient. It supports the full integration of waterborne transport into the EU transport and logistics chain (video 1). File courtesy of: NEWS project
The NEWS project has developed a Next Generation European Inland Waterway Ship and logistics system to make container transport on inland waterways more cost-, time- and ecologically efficient. It supports the full integration of waterborne transport into the EU transport and logistics chain (video 2). File courtesy of: NEWS project
Normally, inland vessels are not equipped with handling technology. This one is – explore the Mercurius Crane Barge. File courtesy of: Mercurius Shipping Group	Mercurius Shipping Group: Crane Barge from Mercurius Shipping Group
Watertruck is an innovative transport concept where small vessels (push boats and barges) are operated in a similarway as road transport (truck/trailer concept), whereby convoys are formed on large fairways and individual (self-propelled) barges or smaller convoys can penetrate the capillar network of small waterways. File courtesy of: Watertruck
Watch here what is so special about Watertruck. File courtesy of: Watertruck
IT Technologies for Inland Waterway Transport. File credits: ST4W
Digitisation of the River Elbe corridor, Germany. File credits: HTC

One of the objectives of the #IWTS 2.0-Project is bring inland shipping onto the mental radar screens of students and young professionals. Browse here the outcome of academic research into IWT sponsored by the IWTS 2.0-Project, so everybody else can benefit.

Promoting inland waterway transport as part of future sustainable transport solutions
Development of instructional learning material based on competencies for an inland waterway transportation learning platform at bremenports
Of Containers and Feedstuff – Inland Shipping in Northern Germany: Two Case Studies

Want to have more information?

If you would like to learn more about the wonderful world of inland waterway vessels, you have come to the right place. On our website you will find only a small extract of information. Many more facts and figures about IWTS 2.0 can be found on the Interreg North Sea Region website.

A comprehensive learning repository with plenty of information and case studies is provided here:

REWWay.at – Research and Education in Inland Waterway Logistics

In addition, the Bundesverband öffentlicher Binnenhäfen e.V. provides information on the subject along with many other platforms. A corresponding link collection with platforms, websites and videos can be found here.

The Project #IWTS 2.0
Inland Navigation Europe:
Bundesverband öffentlicher Binnenhäfen
European Inland Barging Innovation Platform

Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCR)