While the waterway groaned under the icy conditions of winter, experts from viadonau in the fields of international projects and digitalisation were busy with the start-up phase of DiVINE, a new project for the digital modernisation of inland waterway transport. The 36-month project, co-financed by the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), was launched in October 2025 and aims to support the European Commission (DG MOVE) in implementing the ‘Digitalisation Vision for Inland Waterway Transport’ adopted by the NAIADES III expert group.
Photo: © viadonau
What DiVINE does
The project is building a roadmap to digitalise Europe’s inland waterway transport, aligning with the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.
DiVINE addresses three main topics elaborated in the "Digitalisation Vision for Inland Waterway Transport”:
- Smart Shipping with a focus on
- Smart Administration - simplifying reporting and regulatory procedures
- Smart Vessels - promoting automation and advanced onboard technologies
- Smart Infrastructure - enabling digital corridor and traffic management
- Smart Data - creating interoperable data spaces connected to other transport modes - European Mobility Data Space: Creating a dedicated IWT data hub
- RIS Network Management: Evolution of EU-wide River Information Services
viadonau’s role
viadonau is leading the Smart Infrastructure pillar, focusing on the digital integration of physical assets and infrastructure and the strategic evolution of RIS Network Management. With extensive practical experience in the areas of digitalisation and standardisation, the company ensures the technically sound implementation of the desired digitalisation roadmap. The long-term goal is to ensure that future digitisation processes and EU digital standards are practical and effective for inland waterway transport, while also being tailored to the specific operational needs of both waterway authorities and waterway users throughout Europe.
Key facts and further information
- Website: https://divine-iwt.eu/
- Duration: 36 months | Launched: Oct 2025
- Funding: EU – Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)
- Consortium: European IWT Platform (Lead), Ecorys, Danube Commission, Expertise and Innovation Centre Barging (EICB), viadonau, Circle Group