The European Boating Industry (EBI) has become a member of Waterborne Technology Platform (TP), an industry-oriented technology platform to establish a continuous dialogue between the European waterborne sector and the EU institutions and member states.
The members of Waterborne TP represent about 19 EU member states and four European countries.
The addition of the EBI aims to strengthen the representation of blue economy actors and reinforces Europe’s waterborne leadership.
The Waterborne Technology Platform is currently developing a technology roadmap regarding research, development and innovation (RD&I), as well as upscaling and deployment for the blue economy including recreational boats, large yachts and marinas. This roadmap will strengthen Europe’s leadership in the blue economy by developing and deploying innovative, zero emission, digitally enabled and safe technologies across three core technology domains:
1) Leadership in design, production, operation and maintenance of blue economy vessels.
2) Resilient, sustainable and interconnected infrastructure and
3) Excellence in the underwater domain.
The overall objective is to support a fully developed, climate-neutral and resilient blue economy sector by 2050.
Waterborne TP brings together all stakeholders from across the value chain, including shipowners, shipbuilders, equipment manufacturers, ports, energy, infrastructure and service providers, classification societies, universities and research institutes. This ensures that research development and innovation priorities (RD&I) reflect both industrial needs and policy objectives. The Waterborne TP coordinates the private side of the Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport Partnership and covers activities in the area of vessel technologies and operations, port ecosystems, as well as the blue economy.
Philip Easthill, secretary-general of European Boating Industry, says: “The boating and nautical tourism industry is a European hidden champion, strong in manufacturing and exports ‘Made in Europe’ with a very high proportion of SMEs. As part of our sector’s innovation and decarbonisation pathway, targeted EU Research and Innovation funding will be a crucial element and deliver on the commitment to our sector in the EU’s Industrial Maritime Strategy and Sustainable Transport Investment Plan. Joining the Waterborne Technology Platform is a strategic step for EBI and we are proud to be accepted as member and look forward to cooperating across the sector to advance innovation.”
Jaap Gebraad, secretary general of the Waterborne TP, adds: “The recreational boating and nautical tourism industry encompasses a wide variety of actors, including shipyards, equipment manufacturers and marinas and harbours. The contributions of the European Boating Industry to the development of our nine different roadmaps will be critical to ensure that the strategy includes the wider ecosystem perspective, and that solutions developed are tailored accordingly and deployable. The technology roadmaps will be the key tool to support the objectives of the Industrial Maritime and Port Strategies, as the sector provides concrete input on the steps to be achieved in the transition towards a competitive, resilient and sustainable future.”
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