Vision for 2030 & FP10

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ECMAR's technology outlook for 2030

ECMAR’s technology outlook for 2030 is for a more ecofriendly, smarter and a safer maritime industry. The priority research areas address societal, global, and industrial challenges to deliver a more eco-friendly, safer, and competitive maritime industry, for a sustainable future. Many of these areas will embrace the application of new disruptive technologies, alongside the more traditional areas of research, development, and innovation. In the future, more vessels will offer superior energy efficiency with renewable energy sources to reduce fuel consumption, eliminate harmful emissions, and lower its impact on the environment. These improvements will be through measures such as improved hydrodynamic design, the use of lightweight materials, and advanced hybrid-power generation systems, with energy storage to optimise performance. Digitalisation will spur automation, which will lead to the development of smart ships, and positively impact safety and environmental performance. Transformative technologies will lead to advances in ship design and operation, smart manufacturing, and blue growth. These technologies will undoubtedly improve competitiveness, safety, security and environmental protection for the maritime industry

ECMAR Recommendations for FP10

ECMAR highlights the following concrete recommendations for deployment and game changing maritime research:

1. Increase support for low to medium range Technology Readiness Level (TRL) projects in maritime transport.

The focus on medium to long-term objectives, particularly through emphasis on projects with lower TRL (4-6), will be essential for sustainable advancement in the frame of the last part of Horizon Europe program (2026-27). This approach fully aligns also with the Integrated Maritime Policy of the European Commission, which promotes a holistic strategy encompassing wider ECMAR sectors of interests, such as Blue Growth, marine data and knowledge, Maritime Spatial Planning, integrated maritime surveillance, and sea basin strategies.

2. Reshape the proposal evaluation process within the Framework Programme.

 ECMAR welcomes the improvements that have been made in the application and evaluation process of EU proposals, however there are still shortcomings that can be improved. ECMAR has aligned over a number of recommendations on the evaluation process, in line with Draghi report findings, based especially on the current HORIZON Europe research programme:

• Select evaluators with specific technical expertise in the proposal’s field

• Focus on tangible project’s results for competitiveness

• Adopt a “trust first, evaluate later” scheme These recommendations aim to improve the effectiveness and fairness of EU fund ing allocations, ensuring that the most promising and impactful projects receive support and contribute to the overall inno vation performances of the EU.

3. Increase EU Budget for research and allocate more resources to maritime research, in particular competitive clean solutions.

Increasing the budget for research is in line with findings from Draghi’s report and Heitor Group which recommend increasing EU budget up to 200 & 220 billion euros to be able to finance all high-quality proposals. Budget allocation should be concentrated on Strategic areas for the EU such as Waterborne sector, including Ports and inland navigation. Therefore, more resources should be allocated to maritime research. Thus, it is important that more topics are flagged for the maritime sector. This is especially true at low TRL level, where research topics are a bit too vast following a technology approach rather than the requirements of the market, such as the maritime sector. More funding should be secured to maritime research, especially in areas not covered by the Clean Power for Transport (CPT) Directive, nor by the current SRIA of the ZEWT co Programmed Partnership, such as non CO2 emissions, maritime security and safety, autonomous shipping, materials and circular economy, is imperative. These sectors are vital for the green transition and require significant attention to ensure the preservation of marine ecosystems and the ultimate elimination of underwater noise pollution. 

4. Adopt technologies that will lower or control the costs of the green transition, benefiting EU citizens

Addressing the economic impact of the green transition is also critical. Looking at the three fundamental reports commissioned to Letta, Draghi and Heitor Group, indeed promoting economic and social cohesion is a common theme. Letta’s report addresses the need for a more integrated Single Market that benefits all regions and sectors, while “Draghi report” stresses reducing regional disparities and supporting demographic challenges, and the Heitor Group report also touches on the importance of inclusive growth through research and innovation. ECMAR’s vision for economically viable green technologies aims to mitigate inflationary pressures due to the cost of green transition, while advancing towards a decarbonized maritime sector. This vision supports the development of energy-efficient designs and operations that leverage new technologies and green energy sources for a sustainable marine and maritime economy. This, however, requires investments in low TRL research. 

5. Establish an integrated research policy to ‘Reship EU’ that focus on technology adoption and strategic independence

Lastly, the establishment of an integrated policy to ‘Reship EU’ is recommended to bolster the maritime industry’s share within the EU and ensure strategic independence through critical maritime technologies. This policy should focus on improving work quality, working conditions, and the supply chain, reflecting ECMAR’s commitment to zero-emission and zero-accident ships, digitalized shipping, and autonomy for a sustainable and thriving Blue Economy. The collective effort for the implementation of these strategies will position the European maritime industry to navigate the challenges of the 21st century.

 

More information can be found on the ECMAR Maritime Strategic Research Agenda. Click on the link below to access the full document. 

 

ECMAR MARITIME STRATEGIC RESEARCH AGENDA

Click Here to download the full document. 

ECMAR’s Maritime Strategic Research Agenda is a collective effort supporting a vision for 2030-2050. 

This document outlines the technology challenges and opportunities facing the European maritime transport sector up to 2030 and beyond. It provides recommendations for future research and innovation (R&I) priorities, particularly for FP10 (2028-2034).

Key Focus Areas:

  • Current Challenges and Opportunities: The report analyzes the European maritime transport sector within the global economy, highlighting challenges and opportunities. It emphasizes the ECMAR vision for enhancing competitiveness and sustainability, including the importance of low TRL research, the EU Blue Economy, digitalization for decarbonization, and new skills and jobs.

  • Priorities for FP10: The document identifies new priorities for FP10, considering the evolving R&I landscape in the EU. It addresses short-to-medium term challenges in ship design for green and digital operations, including energy efficiency, digitalization, renewables, climate change impacts, safety and circularity, underwater technologies, and nuclear energy. It also emphasizes workforce training and a new business model integrating RDI.

  • Long-Term Vision (ECMAR 2050): The report presents a long-term vision, focusing on key aspects impacted by 2050: energy transition, digitalization and automation, and supply chain and logistics. It highlights digitalization's critical role in increasing competitiveness, including smart shipping, sensor technology, cybersecurity, and climate impact monitoring. It also underscores the importance of the maritime industry for a thriving Blue Economy.

  • Recommendations: The document concludes with recommendations for deploying and implementing game-changing maritime research in FP10.