The NOVIMAR project aims at adjusting the waterborne transportation such that it can make optimal use of the existing short-sea, sea-river and inland waterways, thus expanding the entire waterborne transport chain up and into the urban environment.
The vessel train is foreseen as enabler for this transport system, providing opportunities for increased flexibility in cargo destinations, use of waterways and crew deployment.
NOVIMAR has a variety of research topics in scope ensuring a balanced evaluation of the foreseen transport system. In addition NOVIMAR will identify needed boundary conditions for the transport system and ongoing supporting developments in industry and other projects.
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The vessel train is intended to be an alternative to conventional shipping. Its main intended benefit is reduced cost through a reduction of the size of the crew.
The vessel train concept will be implemented in the existing EU transport system, which consists of infrastructure, vehicles and operations.
For the vessel train to operate control software is needed that communicates between the ships in the train and controls the navigation of the follower vessels.
For the vessel train to be able to provide a relevant service, the cargo handling concept need to be efficient with equipment and vessels carefully designed to fit the concept.
The NOVIMAR vessel train concept departs from the applicability of existing Rules and Regulations mainly regarding reduction of the crew size, remote control and vessel platooning.
Netherlands Maritime Technology Foundation
Boompjes 40
3011 XB Rotterdam
The Netherlands
Novimar works together with 22 partners from seven EU and two associated countries.
