On 25 March 2026, the FOREMAST project participated in the Autonomous Inland & Short Sea Shipping Conference AISS2026 in Düsseldorf as part of the session “On board autonomous ships instead of on bulls’ backs – Is Europe’s future waterborne transport automated?”.

Bringing together a wide range of European initiatives—including FOREMAST sister project AUTOFLEX, as well as Autoship, MISSION, SEAMLESS, MOSES, and MAGPIE—the session provided a dynamic platform to exchange perspectives on the future of automated and autonomous waterborne transport.

Through short project presentations followed by a moderated panel discussion, participants explored common challenges, potential synergies, and the steps needed to move from pilot solutions to large-scale deployment.

FOREMAST was represented and pitched by our partner Muriel Andurand from CIRCOE, who contributed to the discussion by sharing the project’s approach to enabling zero-emission inland waterway logistics through small, flexible, automated vessels.

The event highlighted both the strong momentum across EU-funded projects and the shared obstacles that remain—particularly around data interoperability, regulatory alignment, and market readiness. It also reinforced the importance of collaboration across projects and sectors to accelerate innovation and avoid fragmentation.

Within this broader context, FOREMAST continues to develop and test solutions across the three Living Labs in Ghent, Caen, and Galati, while advancing digital tools such as the project’s Digital Twin to support decision-making.

The key takeaway of the session discussion remains — advancing zero-emission waterborne logistics is not only about technology — it requires aligning data, stakeholders, and market readiness at the same pace.