On 24 June 2025, the WISTAR project brought together key stakeholders in inland waterway transport for a dedicated workshop at Ports de Lille (Place Leroux de Fauquemont, Lille) organized by MULTITEL and moderated by Coventuris project partners. The event focused on one central theme: “Innovation for carbon-free inland waterway transport (IWT)”.
The workshop gathered around thirty participants representing a broad spectrum of the waterway and logistics ecosystem, including carriers, logistics service providers, public authorities, research institutions, universities, and training centres. Among the participants were organisations such as Vaar Systems, DST Entwicklungszentrum für Schiffstechnik und Transportsysteme e.V. - DST, Norlink, Besix, and Voies Navigables de France (VNF), reflecting the strong cross-sector interest in the future of sustainable inland shipping.
Project insights and first results
Following a welcome address by the Director of Ports of Lille, the workshop opened with presentations of the first results of the WISTAR project. Particular attention was given to the development of a simulation model for the German Ruhr region, presented by the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), as well as feedback from the Proof-of-Concept showcase in Caen, presented by NEAC. These contributions illustrated how WISTAR is combining modelling, real-world testing, and regional perspectives to explore new approaches to low-emission inland transport.
Exchange on technologies and fleet decarbonisation
A central moment of the day was the round-table discussion, which brought together technology providers, battery specialists, research centres, inland waterway authorities, port and business federations, and energy suppliers. The discussion focused on two main topics:
- Innovative technologies for inland waterway vessels, and
- Pathways toward a greener inland fleet.
The exchanges highlighted the diversity and complementarity of alternative propulsion and energy solutions, as well as their varying levels of technological maturity. Topics such as quay electrification, Onshore Power Supply (OPS), and exchangeable battery systems generated lively debate, alongside discussions on support mechanisms for modal shift and energy transition.
Strengthening connections across sectors
A key takeaway from the workshop was the importance of closer collaboration between the inland and multimodal transport sectors and energy suppliers. Participants underlined that aligning transport operations with energy system planning is essential to enable scalable, sustainable solutions and to foster new partnerships.
The WISTAR workshop at Ports de Lille demonstrated the value of bringing diverse stakeholders together to exchange perspectives, share early results, and collectively explore the future of carbon-free inland waterway transport. The insights and connections formed during the event will help inform the next steps of the project and future collaborative initiatives.