PROJECT 03

ZEVinnovation

Our project that aims at strengthening transnational cooperation and technology transfer in the development of zero emission vessels (ZEV).

Link to the project webpage: www.zevinnovation.eu

Context

The global maritime industry market has undergone disruptive changes over the past ten years, changes that have especially impacted the European shipbuilding industry. The shipbuilding crisis requires the design of innovative solutions and development of new technologies. Furthermore, in recognition of the need to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants, there is an urgent need to accelerate the development and implementation of innovative zero-emission technologies.

In response to these challenges, Vinco Innovation has been selected as an expert partner in innovation to participate in an international project across the European Economic Area (EEA), ZEVinnovation.

We’re excited to collaborate with our partners from Croatia, Poland, and Norway to strengthen the transnational innovation ecosystem, foster collaborative development, and bring together a professional community interested in zero-emission technologies and the preservation of our environment.

Goals of the project

Work for a sustainable network and the establishment of an electric vessels’ development hub – ZEVinnovation HUB
Connect multidisciplinary partners coming from both public, private, academia and NGOs/ cluster
Establish fruitful collaboration on a transnational level with relevant stakeholders and include actors from Bergen & Vestlandet

Our role

Our role in this project is to serve as an expertise partner, leveraging our valuable industry knowledge and network in Norway, Croatia, and beyond.

As a Bergen-based consulting firm with innovation at our core, we are committed to helping companies achieve their ambitions for innovation and growth. With almost a decade of experience in innovation strategy, business development, market analyses, and leadership of commercial research projects, we are a high-quality provider of valuable know-how to the project.

Project consortium

Center of Technology Transfer LLC (Lead partner, Croatia)
Baltic Sea & Space Cluster (Beneficiary partner, Poland)
Inovacije i razvoj LLC (Beneficiary partner, Croatia)
ÅKP AS (Expertise partner, Norway)
Vinco Innovation AS (Expertise partner, Norway)

What is the ZEVinnovation HUB?

The ZEVinnovation HUB is a transnational cooperation platform that supports development of innovative zero-emission vessels and related technologies.

The ZEV Hub provides significant value to the maritime industry by contributing to problem-solving and addressing the challenges faced by the sector. This value is derived from several aspects.

Firstly, the hub serves as an arena for knowledge sharing, which leads to innovation and increased competitiveness among participants. By improving mutual understanding and knowledge, individual and common success is more likely.

Moreover, the ZEV Hub enhances business development levels for both individual enterprises and the industry as a whole. It also facilitates the potential for early-stage developments. A critical aspect of the development hub is its ability to promote green and blue growth potential. It addresses all three pillars of sustainability – economic, social, and environmental – in order to create a sustainable future for the industry.

European challenges in the shipping industry

The European shipping industry faces several challenges, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, complying with environmental regulations, investing in sustainable technologies, and balancing financial constraints with the need to address these challenges. As one of the world’s largest shipping regions, Europe has a significant impact on global trade and must find sustainable solutions to reduce its carbon footprint and transition to more sustainable fuels. Innovation, such as autonomous shipping, digitalization, and alternative fuels like hydrogen, is crucial to addressing these challenges, but requires significant investment.

ZEVinnovation aims to tackle the challenges confronting the European shipbuilding industry by unlocking the potential of current environmental policies, promoting transnational initiatives for maritime sustainability, integrating innovative zero-emission technologies, increasing investments and support for sustainable projects and businesses, and building greater knowledge to establish dominance in the global zero-emission vessel market.

Added value
of the project

ZEVinnovation will directly support innovators, SMEs, ROs, clusters and other organisations by promoting innovation, research, education and competitiveness of the maritime industry across the EEA. We will provide them with business support, innovation management training and match-making services.

The project will also leverage existing expertise and connect the capacities of EEA countries that have a strong maritime tradition and current pioneering initiatives in the development of similar vessels. Norway holds a strong position in the development of electric vessels, and through the network established by the project, Norway’s expertise will be transferred to other countries. In addition, the project will offer Norwegian companies opportunities to explore new markets in Europe, collaborate with partners across the region, and gain access to new technologies and innovations. This will further enhance Norway’s position as a leading player in the development of electric vessels and other cutting-edge maritime technologies.

The project’s goal is to solve common challenges through shared solutions, benefiting all participants.

Projects funded by

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation.

The Fund for Regional Cooperation supports projects tackling common European challenges through regional cross-border and transnational cooperation.

The EEA and Norway Grants are funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Grants have two goals – to contribute to a more equal Europe, both socially and economically – and to strengthen the relations between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and the 15 beneficiary countries in Europe.