Europe moves towards deployment – maritime industry helps set the course

EU is now shaping the priorities for its next long-term investments.  Maritime CleanTech is bringing maritime industry priorities into the discussions that will decide future funding, industrial initiatives and deployment across the sector.

Next week, Maritime CleanTech will participate in Connecting Europe Days in Brussels, the European Commission's main transport event, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, investors and stakeholders from across Europe.

The timing is significant. As priorities for the EU's next Multiannual Financial Framework are being defined, decisions made in the coming years will help determine which technologies, infrastructure projects and industrial initiatives receive support. For the maritime sector, this is a critical opportunity to help shape the programmes and investments that will influence Europe's transition from innovation to large-scale deployment.

A key milestone event will be the formal handover of nine technology roadmaps to commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas and the European Commission. Through the Waterborne Technology Platform, Maritime CleanTech has led the development of the roadmaps for the ferry and offshore vessel segments, bringing together industry expertise, project experience and technology priorities from across the sector.

The roadmaps cover nine maritime segments and identify priorities for technology development, infrastructure, regulation and deployment towards 2050. Together, they provide a coordinated industry perspective on how Europe can accelerate maritime decarbonisation while strengthening industrial competitiveness.

Maritime CleanTech contributes to these discussions through European partnerships, policy engagement and collaborative innovation projects in areas including energy efficiency, alternative fuels, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and circular value chains.

"Together with our partners, Maritime CleanTech is developing and demonstrating solutions across energy efficiency, alternative fuels, digitalisation and new maritime value chains. The insights gained through these projects help ensure that future European policies, funding programmes and investment priorities are aligned with real industry needs and practical deployment challenges," says Tore Boge, Head of EU Projects at Maritime CleanTech and national delegate to the Waterborne Technology Platform.

The technology roadmaps provide a coordinated industry perspective on where Europe should focus its efforts to accelerate deployment, strengthen competitiveness and create the conditions needed to bring innovative solutions to market at scale.

"The priorities being discussed in Brussels these days will influence future programmes, investments and opportunities across the maritime sector. Our role is to ensure that industry perspectives are reflected in the European decisions that will shape the next phase of maritime development," says Håvard Tvedte, Head of Market Development and External Relations at Maritime CleanTech.

As Europe moves from planning and piloting towards deployment and scale, Maritime CleanTech will continue working with partners across industry, research and public authorities to help accelerate the transition from innovation to implementation.

Meet the Maritime CleanTech team at Connecting Europe Days to discuss how Europe's evolving priorities can create new opportunities for collaboration, innovation and deployment across the maritime sector.