Breaking down silos in Horizon Europe
20 November 2018
The Waterborne sector applauds the Commission’s proposal to break down the silos between modes and sectors in future EU research. A cluster combining climate, energy and mobility is the right way forward to achieve decarbonization and the UN Sustainable Development goals. The same approach is important for missions and partnerships which should be multi-actor and cross-sector.
This is why the Waterborne Sector calls upon Member States and the European Commission to give Waterborne its appropriate place, in accordance to its role, in the programming of cross-sectoral missions and partnerships to achieve a smart, resource-efficient, low-carbon and competitive economy.
The Waterborne sector is at the core of the EU’s economy creating 5,4 million jobs (about 2.25% of all European employment) and generating currently € 500 billion a year (3.4% of EU GDP). Moreover, waterborne transport enables nearly 90% of international trade, 80% of the external EU trade and 40% of the internal EU trade. Waterborne tourism is annually growing at a double digit rate. With targeted and responsible investment, it will keep the waterborne environment of seas, ports and waterways healthy and sustainable ensuring long–term European prosperity.
With more than 70% of the globe covered by water and 50% of Europeans living close to the coast and the valleys of the 15 largest rivers, the Waterborne sector in Europe will be pivotal in the coming decades, both in Europe and globally. By 2050, 80% of the EU population will live in cities. Congestion costs Europe each year up to 100 billion euro. While expansion of the existing land infrastructure is often challenging and expensive to meet the increasing demand for public transport and city logistics, the Waterborne sector will offer waterfront cities through sustained innovation activities with uncongested zero-emission and smart mobility solutions.
The Waterborne sector groups private and public actors active in shipbuilding and equipment manufacturing, sea and inland shipping, transport of goods and people, sea and inland ports, dredging and waterway management where it joins forces on research and innovation.
