AUTOnomous and small FLEXible vessels
AUTOFLEX is an EU-funded research project facilitating the transition to climate-friendly, flexible, and resilient transport.
New autonomous inland cargo vessels are being developed that can reliably carry out transport services in small waterways, even in confined waters and in extreme-low water situations.
New distribution hubs are designed as an interface to road transport, which will ensure both cargo transshipment and zero-emission energy supply for the ships and trucks at the same time.
Two use cases are situated in the Randstad Holland region between Rotterdam and Amsterdam, and in the East Flemish city of Ghent. The use cases will validate ship concepts, establish a roadmap for exploitation, make recommendations to policy and industry, and propose interface standards.
AUTOFLEX is an EU-funded research project facilitating the transition to climate-friendly, flexible, and resilient transport.
New distribution hubs are designed as an interface to road transport.
Two use cases will validate ship concepts, establish a roadmap for exploitation, make recommendations to policy and industry, and propose interface standards.
AUTOFLEX Blog Posts
Journey
Journey
Use Case 1
Netherlands
UC1 aims to establish a sustainable and efficient multi-modal transport system in the Netherlands, utilising inland waterways to minimise road transport and reduce congestion. Through the development of small autonomous zero-emission vessels and the optimisation of the transport network.
Use Case 2
Belgium
The overarching goal of UC2 is to develop and demonstrate an efficient and sustainable hub system that integrates renewable energy supply, cargo transshipment, and autonomous navigation. It aims to increase the zero emission waterborne share of transport of cargo transportation in the region between Antwerp and Ghent.
