The cluster expands its international network in the search for new clean maritime solutions.

– Joining Waterborne brings us closer to the decision makers in the EU. NCE Maritime CleanTech and its cluster members will gain important insights into new regulations and upcoming calls. We can also get access to relevant workshops and meetings which can prove important for our work towards a climate-neutral maritime sector, says CEO Hege Økland in NCE Maritime CleanTech.

Waterborne is an industry-oriented technology platform set up to establish a continuous dialogue between all waterborne stakeholders in the European maritime industry, such as classification societies, shipbuilders, shipowners, maritime equipment manufacturers, infrastructure and service providers, universities or research institutes, and with the EU Institutions, including member States.

– The European Commission has numerous calls each year supporting their ambition to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050. To get first-hand knowledge about the different funding schemes can help us and our member companies to take a leading role when it comes to starting new innovative projects to reduce emissions, Økland says.

 

Ongoing project

NCE Maritime CleanTech is already part of one ongoing project, STEERER, together with other Waterborne stakeholders.

– In STEERER we are on a quest to make waterborne transport a zero emission means of transport, says Økland.

Waterborne transport moves nearly 90% of all international trade, more than 75% of external EU trade and 40% of internal EU trade. In 2018, 139 million tons of CO2 were emitted from seagoing ships visiting European ports, which represented around 13% of total EU transport emissions.

STEERER (Structuring Towards Zero Emission Waterborne Transport) will coordinate the establishment and communication of a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and an Implementation Plan towards zero-emission waterborne transport, in cooperation with all key stakeholders needed to facilitate the transformation to clean waterborne transport. In the definition of STEERER, as well as cutting greenhouse gas emissions, all harmful environmental emissions, water pollution and noise emissions have to be eliminated. STEERER’s mission is to bring the various initiatives and sectors’ stakeholders together to join forces for a combined effort with the maximum impact for the climate, people’s health and Europe’s economy.

The consortium will function as a Secretariat, where the broader expertise is involved in the Scientific Committee and the Green Shipping Expert Group (GSEG) to be established by the project. NCE Maritime CleanTech has joined as a member in the GSEG.