Summary

WATERBORNE has targeted three areas of the maritime sector under its Vision 2020 initiative to increase the benefits and reduce the consequences of waterborne transport. Their research provides a wealth of information for European industries to adopt and the EU to implement.

Content

Since 2007 the WATERBORNE Technology Platform has annually been reviewing their WATERBORNE Strategic Research Agenda (WSRA). 2010 continues this tradition. With a drive to meet the benchmarks of a self-imposed Vision 2020, WATERBORNE envision a future with safe, sustainable and efficient waterborne operations by the year 2020.

The WSRA’s ambitions reflect developments in the maritime sector and new environmental and economic challenges. Its priorities focus on CO2 reduction, the growing offshore renewable energy market and refitting existing ships to accelerate the introduction of the environmental and economic benefits of new technology.

The three pillars of WATERBORNE’S Vision 2020 provide a summary of their direction:

1. Safe, Sustainable and Efficient Waterborne Operations
2. A Competitive European Maritime Industry Manage
3. Facilitate Growth and Changing Trade Patterns

WATERBORNE has identified crucial areas of Research, Development and Innovation necessary under these three pillars in order to create and reinforce European maritime cluster networks and to help strengthen the EU’s identity. The EU27 must increase the perception of themselves as part of a single entity that is Europe, this is extends to the Waterborne sectors.

European society demands that all industries should shoulder their responsibilities in the important environmental efforts towards a greener, more sustainable future. Implementing low emission technologies in the shipping world, could eventually lead to the “zero emission” vessel, when such technologies become available.

From an economic and environmental point of view, waterborne transport is the most sustainable mode of transport. A lot of work has been devoted to reduce accident rates and the past consequences of waterborne transport. For instance, the average number of large oil spills during has been significantly reduced. This was approximately 162,000 tons in 1992 and down to 15,000 tons by 2004. This is against an increase by some 40% of total ocean transport.

The challenge for the marine industries is to sustain these levels of achievement with a massive increase in waterborne transport. Implementing WSRA will require a minimum level of industry/research networks across Europe. This will support the thorough dissemination of research and development results and accelerate its practical implementation in daily life.

This is driven by ever-increasing globalisation, increasing population demand for energy and food, shifting trade patterns and the environmental need to move freight from roads to rail and water in Europe.