This edition is facilitated with the direct support of the Danube Ports Network
DIONYSUS – Integrating Danube Region into Smart & Sustainable
Multi-modal & Intermodal Transport Chains
Final event held in Constanta
The public Final Event of the DIONYSUS project took place in a hybrid form (physical & online) on 23rd November 2022 in Constanta, Romania. The main objective of the event was to inform all interested Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) stakeholders about the activities performed, the results achieved so far and the outcomes (deliverables & outputs) elaborated within the framework of the DIONYSUS Project.
The participants were welcomed by Mr. Silviu Meterna, representing Pro Danube Romania – the Lead Partner of the project. After the introductory words Mr. Meterna gave the floor to the keynote speakers.
The Final event gathered more than 55 participants – project partners, Port Authorities, Ministries, Port Operators and other stakeholders from the Danube countries. DIONYSUS project was launched in July 2020 to address main regional challenges in port infrastructure governance and planning to facilitate the integration of the Danube Region ports into smart and sustainable multi-modal transport chains.
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Taking stock of the DPN’s achievements
Launched in the framework of the DAPhNE project, the Danube Ports Network is an initiative which has emerged in response of a real need to address and reduce the development and innovation gap between the ports situated on the Rhine-Danube Corridor, aiming towards cooperation strengthening between inland and maritime ports in the Danube Region.
The DPN brings together public and private sea & inland ports and terminal operators from the Danube Region willing to engage in a long-term, active and coordinated cooperation process benefiting the port industry and regional economy at large. Moreover, DPN emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge and networking to keep the Danube ports at the forefront of global innovation and as such to adapt them to the needs and requirements of a future-oriented European transport system. Hence, the DPN facilitates diverse forms of cooperation and partnerships between Danube ports, leading to synergies and higher efficiency.
In the framework of DIONYSUS, DPN was at the heart of coordinated project capitalisation tasks that contributed to efficient project implementation, knowledge-creation and transfer, as well as to synergies with EU transport policy initiatives and other port development related projects. Capitalisation was understood in the frame of the project way more than the mere dissemination of project results and outputs. As such, several publications were successfully elaborated and disseminated: two editions of the Danube Ports Handbook, 6 editions of a newsletter as well as 3 editions of a DPN Capitalisation Factsheet. These publications played an important role in disseminating project results and enhance project visibility in the Danube Region and well beyond. The aim of these publications was manifold: to present relevant port statistics collected via dedicated surveys (Danube Ports Handbook), to inform about the activities carried out by the Danube Ports Network or with its support (DPN capitalisation factsheets) and last but not least, to inform the wider IWT community about the milestones achieved in the implementation process of DIONYSUS (newsletters elaborated with the direct support of the DPN). These publications were successfully disseminated and made available on the website of the Danube Ports Network via the Port Knowledge Center. Equally important to highlight are the knowledge-transfer events organised with the participation of renowned experts of the IWT industry aiming to provide insights into their various activities, examples of good practices and concrete recommendations in light of the challenging adaptation process to the ambitious climate goals enshrined in the European Green Deal.
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Video released to celebrate the successful DIONYSUS partnership
Developed by Pro Danube Management GmbH, a video, highlighting the project's main achievements and its enduring impact on the well-being of Danube ports, was officially launched in the frame of the DIONYSUS final event organised on 23 November 2022 in Constanta.
The aim of the DIONYSUS project was to address main regional challenges in port infrastructure governance and planning to facilitate the integration of the Danube Region ports into smart and sustainable multi-modal transport chains. The project was the result of the fruitful collaboration process among port administrations and operators, business associations, academia and the national authorities of the Danube riparian countries.
DIONYSUS highlighted the fact that Danube ports have the potential to act as engines of growth in their host cities and regions, being multimodal hubs with varying levels of intermodal facilities, serving as an interface between different transport modes. Of particular importance for Danube transport are the numerous industrial sites that are located along the Danube Corridor. Ports offer sustainable solutions for attracting key industrial players by providing dedicated facilities for manufacturing, processing and handling of logistics operations, acting as convenient regional business platforms for trade and industry. Another advantage of Danube ports is that many of them are located on the Trans-European Transport Network transited by several important transport corridors.
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Danube Ports Day 2022 provided insights on policy, logistics and digitalisation developments
Continuing the well-established practice initiated by the DAPhNE project, the 2022 edition of the Danube Ports Day event was successfully organised in the frame of the DIONYSUS project by Pro Danube Management (PDM) and the Maritime Ports Administration Constanta (MPAC) with the support of the Danube Ports Network (DPN). By bringing together numerous experts from the Danube Region and beyond, the event set the scene to discuss hot topics related to i) the Ukrainian goods exported from Danube ports and the new logistics chains, ii) transport of goods on the Lower Danube – reflecting on infrastructure conditions, opportunities, and challenges, iii) digitalization trends and intermodal logistics in the Danube Region.
Keynote interventions were delivered by Mrs. Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) and Mr. Alain Baron, Adviser to the Rhine-Danube Corridor Coordinator. Both interventions highlighted that despite the challenges caused both by the conflict in Ukraine as well as by the immediate consequences of climate change – ports must maintain their forefront role in the international distribution of goods.
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Project activity dedicated to the digitalisation of Danube ports delivers important findings
There is a significant impact of ICT technologies on transport-related business, starting from fast and secure information exchange to the full automatisation of certain operations and processes.
For Danube ports, digitalisation is a new topic and they should follow the lead of the digitalisation development level of major European sea and inland ports. Seaports are forerunners in the digitalisation transformation/adoption trend.
Digitalisation of port business in the Danube region needs a special tailor-made approach and must be developed in a bottom-up way. It is not only a “copy & paste” process transferring solutions from other regions (e.g. the Rhine) to the ports of the Danube or from the seagoing ports to the much smaller business of the inland ports.
Ports along the Danube have different organisational structures and operational principles. Container terminals are often situated in or near the ports, but they are not necessary situated there due to curret container flow on the Danube (dominated mainly by small amounts of empty units on the waterway transport). The container business is not a core business of Danube inland ports, therefore container terminals are situated outside of ports far away the water connection. Digital solutions for for this business are high developed and ready to bay on the market, but as mentioned are not the core element of port business itself.
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Second edition of the Danube Ports Handbook is now available
Two editions of the Danube Ports Handbook were elaborated and published in the frame of DIONYSUS with the support of the Danube Ports Network. The first edition was published in December 2021, whereas the second edition was finalised and published in October 2022.
The Danube Ports Handbook is based on the results of 2 surveys that were carried out among the ports of the Danube Region to collect information on port traffic in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic covering the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. While Danube shipping is closely correlated with developments in the regional and global economy, the average number of port calls as well as the number of handled products and traffic passenger transport generated useful insights into the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Danube navigation. The survey furthermore touched upon topics linked to procedural restrictions that may have impaired a smooth transport flow.
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Regional workshop on river cruising in the Middle Danube Region successfully organised
Hosted by the Port Governance Agency, the regional workshop "RCI in the Middle Danube Region (HU/HR/RS)" was successfully organised on 9 November in Belgrade. The event, co-organised by the Port Governance Agency, Port Authority Vukovar and the Hungarian Federation of Inland Ports, brought together representatives of port operators, shipping agents, tourist organisations, national and local authorities as well as tour operators to discuss the prospects of international passenger transportation on the Danube.
The current situation in the river cruising industry in the Republic of Serbia, Croatia and Hungary was presented, with a special focus on development plans and the development of new international passenger terminals. The Agency highlighted its previous work in terms of investments in new terminals on the Danube and Sava. Srdja Ljesevic, head of Center for port operations, stressed that there are seven operational international passenger terminals in Serbia, and that the Agency plans to open two more on the Danube River and two on the Sava river. PGA also presented the "Awake the Danube" project. The aim of the Agency’s project is to promote and develop cruising, through the connection of cities in Upper and Lower Danube in Serbia.
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Regional workshop on river cruising in the Lower Danube region successfully organized
A group of people sitting at a table Description automatically generated with low confidence] The event targets the Lower Danube Region’s port administrations, port operators and service providers, tourist organizations, tour operators, local authorities.
The Regional Workshop was dedicated to the development of RCI in the Lower Danube Region and was organized by the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ruse, Bulgaria on 17th November 2022. In order to ensure maximum involvement of stakeholders from the River Cruise Industry, the waterway and port administrations the workshop was organised to feed into the analysis work and will support the consortium in the conceptual work for an overall strategy on a Danube Region level. The workshop for Lower Danube aimed to provide a platform for a structured dialogue with the stakeholders and sharing good practices from other European regions with significant river cruise activities and thus fostering the interregional exchange of experiences.
The event gathered 25 participants who represent important for the DIONYSUS project organisations (public institutions, universities, local NGOs, port authorities, private companies, tour operators, tourist organizations, a Chamber of Commerce and a Euroregion, port operators, shipping companies, etc.) providing useful information based on their various areas of expertise
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International event on ports and agricultural traffic
The International Event organized on 3rd November 2022 under the responsibility of HFIP aimed to present the findings of the Reports and Case Studies on Agricultural Products Traffic in the Danube Region.
The purpose of the international conference was, among other things, to put the crown on the three regional workshops which were organised for the Lower-, Middle- and Upper-Danube Region countries on the topic of “Ports and Agricultural Traffic” during the DIONYSUS project. The main conclusion of the workshops was presented as well as relevant case studies from the region by excellent keynote speakers.
During the conference participants talked about agricultural products and the trends, challenges and opportunities regarding their traffic in the Danube Region. An insight was gained into the topic through multiple perspectives with the help of the invited speakers. In the framework of new EU shipping qualification standards, the IWT labor market, European harmonization process, directives and standards, transposition into national legislation, tasks to be completed and digitalization aspects were presented by Mr. Csaba Bellyei representing the Shipping Authority of the Ministry of Technology and Industry.
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Project officially presented at DISC ’22
Danube Information Services Conference ’22 (DISC ’22) took place in Bucharest on 14 – 15.12.2022. This annual event is dedicated to inform about the latest River Information Service developments and innovations in the Danube region. DIONYSUS project was presented to the participants by the Lead Partner PDR (Mr. Silviu Meterna & Mrs. Luminita Meterna) who gave updated information about the project, its background, objectives, structure and results achieved so far.
Representatives of ERDF PP2 iConsulenten (Mr. Peter Woetzinger) & IPA PP1 PGA (Mr. Srdja Ljesevic & Mr. Vladimir Pavlovic) also attended the DISC ’22 event.
The Danube Commission and viaDonau were also represented at the Conference, among other stakeholders.
Happy holidays from the DIONYSUS consortium!
