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SYNERGETICS on tour

Interim results of the Innovation Action funded by the European Commission have been presented at the Danube Ports Days 2023 in Vienna and the 6th BinSmart Networking Event in Berlin.

Not least thanks to the contributions by Dieter Janecek (left, MP for Bündnis 90/DIE GRÜNEN parliamentary group, Federal Government Coordinator for Maritime Economy and Tourism), Marcel Lohbeck (centre, Federal Association of Inland Ports, BÖB, and Association for European Inland Navigation and Waterways, VBW) and Dr. Igor Bačkalov (right), the participants were offered an appealing programme. (Photo: DST)

Danube ports and navigation play a crucial role in inland transport and trade networks, and the Danube Ports Days 2023 on 23 and 24 November provided the perfect opportunity to present the SYNERGETICS Innovation Action to Danube stakeholders, including high-level representatives from the European Parliament, the European Commission, international river commissions, port authorities and shipping companies. The two-day event was a joint effort of Pro Danube, SYNERGETICS and the EU-funded projects Green Inland Ports and MultiRELOAD. It was supported by the Danube Port Networks.
The second day of the venue focused on the SYNERGETICS innovation action. The project’s ambitions and current status were presented by its coordinator, DST. The potential of hydrogen and methanol as marine fuels as well as the electrification of ships by means of swappable battery containers were presented by the participating project partners Argo-Anleg GmbH, ScandiNAOS AB and Zero Emission Services. The particular challenges in the introduction of alternative fuels for Danube navigation were emphasized in the presentation of the Kanzlei Anzböck. The success of the session and the high interest of the stakeholders was confirmed by the numerous questions and the lively dialogue that took place during the panel discussion.

Bengt Ramne, founder and managing director the Swedish company ScandiNAOS AB, presents details of his SYNERGETICS demonstrator. (Photo: ProDanube International)

Dr. Igor Bačkalov presents details of the research and development project SYNERGETICS and its various demonstrators to the audience. (Photo: ProDanube International)

A few days later, SYNERGETICS was presented to the German IWT community as part of the BinSmart networking event entitled “Inland navigation in transition: Between technical feasibility and legal hurdles”, which took place in Berlin on the 28th and 29th of November 2023. The focus of the ensuing discussion was the longevity of the SYNERGETICS tools beyond the project duration and the pragmatic issues related to the management of innovation actions.

The SYNERGETICS project receives funding from Horizon Europe, the European Union’s key funding programme for research and innovation, under Grant Agreement No. 101096809.