On 4–5 March 2026, partners of the FOREMAST project gathered in Caen, France, for the project’s 2nd General Assembly, bringing together the consortium to review progress, exchange ideas, and coordinate the next steps toward advancing automated, zero-emission inland waterway transport.
Over two days, project partners presented updates across the different work packages, discussed technical developments, and explored how the project’s Small Flexible Automated Zero-Emission (SFAZ) vessel concept and related logistics solutions are progressing. The meeting provided an important opportunity to align activities across the consortium and strengthen collaboration between the different research, industry and innovation partners involved in the project.
A major highlight of the General Assembly took place on Day 2, with a Living Lab 2 demonstration in Caen, kindly hosted by NEAC Industry, leader of the Caen & Le Havre Living Lab. During the demonstration, partners observed the NEAC vessel in operation, showcasing several advanced functionalities under development within the project. These included remote vessel operations, automated navigation features, and collision avoidance capabilities.
The demonstration also illustrated how operational data from the vessel can be integrated into the project’s Digital Twin environment, highlighting interoperability between different systems, including Konnecta’s platform and the ABB console. This live demonstration provided valuable insight into how different technologies can work together to support safer and more efficient automated vessel operations.
The second day of the meeting also welcomed guest contributions from related projects in the inland waterway sector. Representatives from AUTOFLEX, FOREMAST’s sister project, and the SEAMLESS project shared their experiences and perspectives on developments in inland waterway automation and digitalisation. These exchanges opened opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing between projects working on similar challenges.
A presentation on cybersecurity in inland navigation, was done by NEAC’s PhD researcher highlighting the growing importance of secure communication systems in increasingly digital and automated waterway operations.
The event concluded with a networking session and informal discussions among partners, further strengthening the collaboration within the FOREMAST consortium.
The consortium would like to thank NEAC Industry for hosting and organising the General Assembly in Caen, as well as all partners and guest speakers for their valuable contributions.
With continued collaboration and technical progress, the FOREMAST project moves forward in its mission to support the development of smart, automated and zero-emission solutions for the future of inland waterway transport.
