CRISTAL PROJECT

European Commission is funding the Climate resilient and environmentally sustainable transport infrastructure, with a focus on inland waterways – CRISTAL Project.

Discover the project

Project Introduction

The CRISTAL project focuses on the development of inland waterway transport (IWT) and its infrastructure.

The crucial aim of the project is to create an innovative technology for monitoring and digitization of transport chains, indicating the direction of further development of business and management models that include river transport in multimodal chains.

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The project is co-created by 15 partners from 9 European countries: Poland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, France and the UK.

Project duration

36 Months

Project Partners

15 Project partners

Project Coordinators

Łukasiewicz – Poznań Institute of Technology
Poznań, Poland

Grant amount

6 371 048.50 €

Project Objectives

Shifting 20 % of freight traffic from land to inland waterways.

Conducting three case studies that will allow to increase the reliability of transport by 80% with the use of synchromodality and the implementation of river transport to multimodal supply chains.

Increasing the operability and resilience of infrastructure to climate change.

The CRISTAL case study will cover rivers in: Poland (Vistula and Odra), Italy (Po) and France (Mosele, Seine).

Provision of navigability in extreme weather situations.

Using recycled materials and the reduction of the environmental impact of inland navigation.

Developing new governance models enabling cooperation across institutional, modal and national boundaries.

Use of the latest technological solutions, such as automatic buoys, sensors monitoring the condition of the infrastructure, business models, a decision support system and an open data platform for synchromodal resource planning and operation preparation.

In this video, we take a closer look at the Polish Pilots within the Cristal Project, showcasing how cutting-edge technology is being applied to improve mobility and logistics. Watch as we explore all three pilot sites: Italy, Poland and France and hear from key experts driving innovation forward!

🔹 Marta Cudziło – Cristal Project Coordinator, provides an in-depth demonstration of the Polish Pilots’ work.
🔹 Dr. Ernest Czermanski – Polish Pilots Leader, shares insights on project goals and implementation.
🔹 Norbert Szczepaniak – Smart Buoys provider, explains their role in enhancing navigation and logistics.

🚀 Discover how the Cristal Project is leveraging automation, smart logistics, and digital solutions to shape the future of transport systems in Poland and beyond!

University of Gdańsk Publishes Scientific Paper on the Impact of Climate Change on Inland Waterway Transport

The University of Gdańsk, a proud partner of the CRISTAL Project, has recently published a scientific paper exploring the challenges faced by inland waterway transport in the context of climate change.

The study highlights the crucial role of inland waterways in achieving climate policy goals, emphasizing the sector’s potential for low-carbon, sustainable transport. However, the research also identifies a concerning trend of “reverse inter-sectoral shifts,” where the role of inland waterways is weakening instead of strengthening.

A key focus of the paper is the reliability of inland navigation amid changing climate conditions. The authors examine whether climate change poses a threat to the continuity of navigation and propose a hypothesis: climate change contributes to the loss of reliability in inland waterway transport.

This research provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for making inland waterways more resilient and underscores the importance of initiatives like CRISTAL, which work to enhance the sustainability and reliability of transport infrastructures.

Stay tuned for more updates from our research partners as we continue to drive climate-resilient solutions!

#CRISTALProject #SustainableTransport #ClimateResilience #InlandWaterways #ResearchInnovation

Building Climate – Resilient Inland Waterways Webinar

How can we build climate-resilient inland waterways? What role do technological innovations and digitalization play in improving the sustainability of inland waterway transport? How can these advancements help us address the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability?

Join us on Thursday, 8 May, from 14:00-15:00 online for an insightful webinar exploring these critical questions.

This event will showcase three EU-funded projects—ReNEW, CRISTAL, and PLOTO—which are pioneering solutions to enhance the resilience and sustainability of inland waterways. Funded under a common call for climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable transport infrastructure, these projects are driving innovation, promoting modal shifts in transportation, and reshaping the future of inland navigation.

Save the date now! Keep an eye on our website, the full agenda and registration will be available soon.

CRISTAL project at TRA 2024

Highlights

The Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2024 held in Dublin, Ireland on 15-18 April 2024, has once again proved to be a major event for the future of transport and mobility in Europe.

This year’s theme, “Transport Transitions: Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility,” perfectly captured the drive towards more sustainable transport solutions and attracted over 4000 delegates from 50 countries.

Joined stand: CRISTAL – ReNEW – PLOTO

The CRISTAL project had a joint stand with its sister projects ReNEW and PLOTO in the ALICE Logistic Innovation Village, highlighting the synergies and collaboration potential between these projects.

The presence of the CRISTAL project at TRA 2024 was a great opportunity for interaction and knowledge exchange with different stakeholders. Our joint stand became a hub for discussions on how integrated, collaborative solutions can transform the inland navigation sector, in line with the broader goals of sustainable and resilient transport systems.

During the four intensive days, the project partners had fruitful discussions and networking opportunities with stakeholders from the ReNEW and PLOTO projects. These interactions are very valuable as they foster understanding and create links for future collaboration, with the aim of synchronising efforts across our projects for greater impact.

Moreover, the CRISTAL team engaged in numerous discussions with the TRA participants and with other EU-funded projects exhibiting in the ALICE Logistic Innovation Village, which provided an excellent opportunity to discuss ongoing activities, plan future initiatives, and strengthen our network within the European transport community.

Well-deserved award

A highlight of the conference was the TRA VISIONS 2024 Young Researcher Award Ceremony, where Tom McDonald from Newcastle University, representing the CRISTAL project, won the second prize in the Waterborne category. He has received the award from the hands of Jaap Gebraad, Waterborne Secretary-General and Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General of Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE).

The award-winning work of Tom McDonald focused on the application of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology within Digital Twin and River Pilot France initiatives of the CRISTAL project. This innovative approach employs advanced subsurface radar for detailed analysis and maintenance planning of waterway infrastructure, improving its resilience and efficiency. Inspired by techniques used in railway technology, this adaptation for inland waterway applications represents a great step forward towards predictive maintenance strategies, which are crucial for the sustainability of transport infrastructure.

As the curtains close on TRA 2024, heartfelt appreciation is extended to the organisers, partners, and all participants who contributed to the enriching discussions and shared their insights. This event not only provided a platform to showcase progress but also offered invaluable opportunities to learn from other leading initiatives in the transport and mobility landscape. The involvement and contributions from various stakeholders at TRA 2024 have been instrumental in strengthening efforts towards achieving a sustainable transport future. Continued collaboration fostered by this event is eagerly anticipated, with a shared commitment to advancing resilient and efficient transport systems.

CRISTAL project at TRA 2024

Highlights

The Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2024 held in Dublin, Ireland on 15-18 April 2024, has once again proved to be a major event for the future of transport and mobility in Europe.

This year’s theme, “Transport Transitions: Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility,” perfectly captured the drive towards more sustainable transport solutions and attracted over 4000 delegates from 50 countries.

Joined stand: CRISTAL – ReNEW – PLOTO

The CRISTAL project had a joint stand with its sister projects ReNEW and PLOTO in the ALICE Logistic Innovation Village, highlighting the synergies and collaboration potential between these projects.

The presence of the CRISTAL project at TRA 2024 was a great opportunity for interaction and knowledge exchange with different stakeholders. Our joint stand became a hub for discussions on how integrated, collaborative solutions can transform the inland navigation sector, in line with the broader goals of sustainable and resilient transport systems.

During the four intensive days, the project partners had fruitful discussions and networking opportunities with stakeholders from the ReNEW and PLOTO projects. These interactions are very valuable as they foster understanding and create links for future collaboration, with the aim of synchronising efforts across our projects for greater impact.

Moreover, the CRISTAL team engaged in numerous discussions with the TRA participants and with other EU-funded projects exhibiting in the ALICE Logistic Innovation Village, which provided an excellent opportunity to discuss ongoing activities, plan future initiatives, and strengthen our network within the European transport community.

Well-deserved award

A highlight of the conference was the TRA VISIONS 2024 Young Researcher Award Ceremony, where Tom McDonald from Newcastle University, representing the CRISTAL project, won the second prize in the Waterborne category. He has received the award from the hands of Jaap Gebraad, Waterborne Secretary-General and Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General of Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE).

The award-winning work of Tom McDonald focused on the application of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology within Digital Twin and River Pilot France initiatives of the CRISTAL project. This innovative approach employs advanced subsurface radar for detailed analysis and maintenance planning of waterway infrastructure, improving its resilience and efficiency. Inspired by techniques used in railway technology, this adaptation for inland waterway applications represents a great step forward towards predictive maintenance strategies, which are crucial for the sustainability of transport infrastructure.

As the curtains close on TRA 2024, heartfelt appreciation is extended to the organisers, partners, and all participants who contributed to the enriching discussions and shared their insights. This event not only provided a platform to showcase progress but also offered invaluable opportunities to learn from other leading initiatives in the transport and mobility landscape. The involvement and contributions from various stakeholders at TRA 2024 have been instrumental in strengthening efforts towards achieving a sustainable transport future. Continued collaboration fostered by this event is eagerly anticipated, with a shared commitment to advancing resilient and efficient transport systems.

TRA2024 Award for CRISTAL project

Huge congratulations! 🎉 CRISTAL Project researcher Tom McDonald from Newcastle University has won second prize at Transport Research Arena – TRA2024 in the Waterborne mode for his work on the GPR innovation in CRISTAL Project’s WP5 Digital Twin and WP8 River Pilot France. 🚢 🥈🎉

Well done on this fantastic achievement and your work on CRISTAL Project!