News & Press

Within the framework of the SEAMLESS project, a new Special Issue entitled “Key-enabling technologies for automated, economically viable, and resilient waterborne transport” has been launched under the guest editorship of Vasso Reppa, Nikos Kougiatsos, Harilaos N. Psaraftis, Marialena Vagia, and Nikos P. Ventikos.

Waterborne transport accounts for more than 90% of global cargo services and plays a central role in achieving the European Green Deal’s objective of climate neutrality by 2050. The transition from road to waterborne transport, together with the development of connected and automated multimodal mobility, is a key EU priority. In this context, smart vessel technologies, advanced infrastructure, and the digital integration of logistics processes are essential to ensure safe, efficient, resilient, and environmentally sustainable transport services.

The Special Issue focuses on the technological, regulatory, and business innovations required to enable the large-scale deployment of automated Short Sea Shipping (SSS) and Inland Waterway Transport (IWT). It explores, among other topics, the development and integration of policies and regulatory frameworks, technology qualification procedures, optimisation of multimodal logistics systems, redesign of logistics processes and stakeholder interaction patterns, as well as innovative business models and smart logistics platforms to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The themes addressed closely align with SEAMLESS’ mission: not only to demonstrate automated inland waterway solutions, but also to define credible pathways for their scalable, economically viable, and regulation-ready deployment across Europe.

Through this initiative, SEAMLESS further contributes to shaping the scientific and policy dialogue around the future of automated and sustainable waterborne transport.

Submissions for this Special Issue are due by: September 1st, 2026