Danube Commission – Donaukommission – Commission du Danube – Дунайская Комиссия

PLATINA4Action

The EU-funded PLATINA4Action project provides targeted coordination and support activities to promote inland waterway transport (IWT) in Europe. Starting from January 2024, the project runs for 36 months until end of 2026. The project makes the bridge towards future research, innovation and implementation needs within IWT in Europe. It does focus on actions to deploy green and connected inland waterway transport in the near future and evaluates NAIADES III and prepares a policy agenda. The platform acts as catalyst, bringing together expertise, stakeholders and research in the field of European Inland Waterway Transport and builds on the network and expertise developed in the project PLATINA3 funded under Horizon 2020.

The PLATINA4Action consortium works closely together with European Commission DG MOVE in view of the implementation and evaluation of the NAIADES III Action plan and the development of a new policy agenda for IWT. Interaction takes place with the NAIADES Implementation Expert Group in this regard. The consortium does involve and interact with IWT and logistic representatives and platforms, river commissions, ports and waterway managers, Member States and research institutes. PLATINA4Action established an Advisory Board with external experts and stakeholders to review the work and to give input for the execution of the tasks in the workplan.

Objectives of Platina4Action project:

  • Assess the impact of the NAIADES III actions on emission reduction and modal shift and develop additional policy recommendations to accelerate the transition to zero-emission and digital IWT and to support the modal shift.
  • Develop and demonstrate a digital twin tool capable of evaluating the impact of the NAIADES III actions and additional policy recommendations.
  • Develop and validate a European labelling system for green IWT vessels on EU waterways aiming at achieving energy and emission reduction and ultimately zero-emission transport.
  • Identification and analysis of barriers and opportunities for the development of zero-emission and smart technologies and pilot actions for deployment of selected breakthrough concepts.
  • Develop an RD&I roadmap for technologies and policies achieving accelerated zero-emission and smart IWT their deployment.
  • Initiate and continue interaction between policy makers, technology providers, experts, researchers, and IWT end-users.

Project includes following thematic Work Packages:

  • WP1 Development of IWT policies and European IWT Agenda
  • WP2 Development of Digital Twin
  • WP3 Label for vessels on EU waterways
  • WP4 Zero-emission innovations and their deployment / roll-out
  • WP5 RD&I Roadmap
  • WP6 IWT knowledge platform and stakeholder events

Role of the Danube Commission: the Danube Commission contributes to monitoring of policy implementation, policy assessment and formulation of new policy measures (WP 1), the development and application of the labelling system (WP 3) from the specific viewpoint of the Danube corridor, bringing together stakeholders for technology deployment (WP 4), and organisation of the stakeholder events (WP 6). The Danube Commission will host one Stage event (November 2025) as well as one Technology Transfer Workshop (October 2025) at a suitable location in the Danube corridor. Furthermore, the Danube Commission will play a central role in representing the needs and requirements of the public and private stakeholders in the Danube region in WP 5 and WP 6.

Additional information about Platina4Action project can be also found via link to the project`s official website: https://platina4action.iwtprojects.eu