PIANC Smart Rivers 2022

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Abstract : *(250~1000 words)

Inland Navigation and River Information Services (RIS) are facing in the coming decade many new challenges from various perspectives. All different transport modes are making the shift towards digitalization. Inland navigation is also moving towards a digital world under impulse of different worldwide initiatives. This means data and information services will become more and more crucial and critical for transport and traffic management in inland navigation.

With the introduction of the concept of the Physical Internet, the different transport modes need to invest in services, feeding a syncromodal network, able to process a transport request or need in the future. To make the inland waterways a valuable and trustful link within a syncromodal network different challenges need to be tackled:

-	Geographical upscaling: River Information Services will need to interconnect different stakeholders of a waterway network on a continent by means of a (pan-) corridor management approach versus a national or regionally focussed approach like it is nowadays. This current narrow approach is hindering the growth of inland navigation.

-	Synchromodal ready: Once these international waterway networks are able to offer operational and technical services, interconnection with other transport modes will be required. By exchange knowledge, experiences, ideas, technologies and lessons learned these different transport modes can converge to a similar approach and framework. This approach will finally result in a synchromodal network. The big challenge will be the coordination of such an approach covering and steering the different transport modes to act to fulfil a common goal and become synchromodal ready.

-	Future Proof: new technologies will allow new applications in the area of infrastructure and vessels, including increasing requirements towards data and information service. At the same time, these new technologies will challenge the existing technical and operational services to evolve. These services must be designed to be scalable, trustful, of high quality and flexible enough to resist future demands. In the specific case of autonomous vessels, this need to be addressed within the concept and framework of Smart Shipping. Within this framework not only the vessel is taken into account, but also the interaction with the shore infrastructure (bridges, locks, traffic centres, …). Therefore RIS developments must be closely in line with the concept of Smart Shipping.

One can conclude the role of RIS is still very important and focused on safety and efficiency, but faces the opportunities and challenges of new technologies and trends. RIS will be the facilitator for inland waterways to become a trustful link in a synchromodal transport network.

To be able to become such a trustful link, the first steps will be elaborated within the new PIANC RIS guidelines of 2022. It is important to know which (new) services for Inland waterways are needed to make inland navigation synchromodal ready.

Since the previous Smart Rivers in 2019, a lot of work has already been done. The progress of this work will be presented during the Smart Rivers Conference in 2022, providing the audience a good insight at the future guidelines.

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