ReNEW Final Conference and Demo in Ghent: Presentations available

The ReNEW Final Event, held on 19 June 2025 at De Krook in Ghent, served as the culminating gathering of the ReNEW project, focused on advancing the sustainability and resilience of inland waterway transport (IWT) across Europe. Under the title “ReNEWing Inland Waterways for a Climate-Resilient Future”, the event brought together over 60 policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to share outcomes, explore innovations, and engage in discussions around future pathways for green and smart waterborne transport.

The event was co-organised by project coordinator European Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) Platform, Magellan Circle, imec, Inlecom together with local partner and Ghent Living Lab 1 leader Peter Geinaert (OHB) who organised the technical visit with the support of European Research Center and Urban Waterway Logistics.

The day began with registration and welcome coffee, followed by introductory remarks by Theresia Hacksteiner, Executive Director of the European Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) Platform. Andrea Superti, Project Officer from CINEA, delivered the official opening, setting the stage for the day’s sessions by highlighting the EU’s ambitions and support for innovative climate-resilient infrastructure.

The first main session featured keynote presentations introducing core themes of the ReNEW project. Fereshteh Asgari from IRTX discussed the development of a decision-support framework aimed at strengthening sustainability and resilience in IWT. Lars Andreas Lien Wennersberg from Sintef presented novel vessel design solutions tailored to climate adaptability. Tom Bergmans of imec then introduced digitalization strategies, including the use of Digital Twins and the concept of a Green Resilient IWT Dataspace, aimed at improving monitoring, planning, and responsiveness in waterway networks.

The second session was dedicated to showcasing results from the ReNEW Living Labs (LLs), real-world pilots where project innovations were tested. These included:

LL1, focusing on synchromodal logistics hubs in Ghent, presented by Ghazaleh Kia (Seafar) and Sorina Pacuraru (University of Galati),
LL2 on smart infrastructure resilience management, introduced by Joana Dias (Magellan Circle),
LL3’s digital twin app for EU IWT network mitigation, demonstrated by Ioanna Kourounioti (Panteia) and Jan Snoeij (4shipping),
LL4 on autonomous navigation capabilities, presented by Antoon van Coilie (Zulu Associates) alongside Sorina Pacuraru.

After lunch, participants joined a technical visit to Ghent’s Synchromodality City Logistics Hub. A highlight of the visit was the inauguration of the vessel Avatar III, a showcase of innovative vessel design and smart navigation capabilities and a direct result of the ReNEW project and Living Lab Ghent. The inauguration was conducted by Marta Wolska (DG MOVE) and Maria Guillen-Molina (DG RTD), marking a symbolic milestone in the advancement of climate-resilient IWT technologies.

The afternoon continued with a panel discussion titled “Navigating the Future: Resilient, Smart, and Green Inland Waterways for a Climate-Neutral Europe”, chaired by Zisis Palaskas from INLECOM. Experts from European institutions and academia—including Marta Wolska (DG MOVE), Maria Guillen-Molina (DG RTD), Kris Neyens (VIL), Professor Christa Sys (University of Antwerp), and Tom Bergmans (imec)—discussed the intersection of policy, innovation, and digital transformation. The discussion emphasized the role of data sharing, automation, and intermodality in ensuring that inland navigation remains a competitive, low-carbon alternative.

The final session provided concluding remarks from Theresia Hacksteiner, IWT Platform and George Sarigiannis, Inlecom as Living Labs leader summarising the achievements of the ReNEW project and setting a forward-looking agenda for European IWT.