HERFRIED Kicks Off to Make Inland Waterway Transport Smarter, Better Connected and More Competitive
European Consortium aims for a fully digitized integration of inland waterway transport into multimodal logistics chains. The HERFRIED project officially kicked off, 21 October 2026, with an online meeting bringing together its European consortium of 17 organisations from research, logistics, transport operations, infrastructure management and digital technologies. Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Programme with 8 million Euro, HERFRIED aims for a fully digitised integration of inland waterway transport (IWT) into multimodal logistics chains. HERFRIED moves from isolated digital solutions towards an integrated Smart IWT system, connecting vessels, infrastructure, data, administration and multimodal logistics in real operations.
Photo: © viadonau/Andi Bruckner
HERFRIED Smart IWT Framework & HERFRIED Process Space
The use of IWT reduces road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions while improving the efficiency of freight movements. To unlock this potential, HERFRIED aims to improve interoperability and coordination between vessels, infrastructure managers, ports, logistics providers and other transport modes. HERFRIED addresses these challenges by developing a comprehensive Smart IWT Framework that integrates smart vessels, smart infrastructure, smart data and smart administration into multimodal logistics chains connected via the HERFRIED Process Space. The HERFRIED Process Space connects IWT to multimodal chains following the “data is entered once, used for multiple purposes”-approach using policy-based data sharing and linking existing systems and platforms with each other.
From digital innovation to practical solutions tested in seven industry-led pilots
The pilots cover a broad range of real-world freight operations, from bulk and break-bulk transport to containerised industrial cargo and multimodal transport chains. They will demonstrate how better use and reuse of digital data can improve transport visibility, ETA information and terminal planning, while reducing manual and document-based processes. Other pilots explore cargo bundling and the use of available inland waterway capacity, including the pooling of freight volumes from different shippers and the integration of road freight into waterborne transport. The pilots also address smarter shipping and more complex multimodal operations across major European freight corridors and range from cross-border transport between the ARA region, Austria and Romania to multimodal connections towards Spain, freight pooling on the Seine in France, and improved digital tracking of vessels and pushed barges on the Rhine–Main–Danube corridor. Together, the seven pilots will demonstrate HERFRIED solutions under real operational conditions and provide evidence for their wider application across European freight corridors.
A strong European consortium
HERFRIED is coordinated by the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (FHOOE) and brings together 17 organisations from 7 countries with complementary expertise in research, digital technologies, transport operations, logistics, infrastructure management and policy support.
The consortium comprises FHOOE, etp-ALICE, imec, the University of Antwerp, Pro Danube International, viadonau, TTS (Transport Trade Services) GmbH, voestalpine, Chasqee, RSOE, Transporeon, 4shipping, De Vlaamse Waterweg, AI Cargo Foundation, Panteia, Frequentis and Inuits.
Lisa-Maria Putz-Egger, HERFRIED Project Coordinator at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria:
HERFRIED is not about digitalisation for the sake of digitalisation. Our ambition is to connect vessels, infrastructure, logistics and data in a way that creates real value in daily transport operations. With seven industry-led pilots, we have the opportunity to develop solutions together with the people who will ultimately use them and to demonstrate what Smart Inland Waterway Transport can look like in practice.
More about HERFRIED
HERFRIED stands for Highly Efficient, Eco-Friendly, Resilient, Fully Integrated, Real-Time Innovative Inland Waterway Transport Enhancing Multimodal Competitiveness via Digitalisation and runs for 3 years. HERFRIED aims for the full digitized integration of inland waterway transport in multimodal logistic covering smart vessels, infrastructure, data and administration.
