31 March 2025 – The maritime and inland waterway sector is at a turning point in the transition towards zero-emission waterborne transport. To accelerate this transformation, the MarLEN (Maritime Low Emission Network) project has been officially launched under the Horizon Europe programme.
Coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich, this ambitious 54-month Horizon Coordination and Support Action (CSA) brings together 14 ministries, research and funding organisations from 10 European countries, collectively accounting for a significant share of global shipbuilding output and fleet tonnage.
MarLEN’s primary objective is to strengthen the European Research Area (ERA) in waterborne research by coordinating and developing synergies between national and regional maritime and inland waterway research programmes and policies, in line with the objectives of the Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport (ZEWT) partnership.
Through enhanced transnational cooperation across Europe, the project will:
- Launch and coordinate funding initiatives, maximising the impact of maritime and inland waterway research investments;
- Facilitate knowledge and information exchange among national programme coordinators and managers, existing networks, and research stakeholders;
- Address climate and environmental challenges in the waterborne sector, supporting the transition to zero-emission technologies;
- Create a self-sustaining European network of maritime ministries and funding bodies, integrating new organisations and expanding its network beyond the official consortium.
“Working towards zero-emission waterborne transport and green shipping requires collective effort and strong coordination between European countries. MarLEN will be a driving force in aligning research efforts, unlocking funding opportunities, and creating a truly integrated European approach to sustainable maritime technologies,” said Jöran Ritzke, Project Coordinator at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
By consolidating and expanding existing collaboration frameworks, MarLEN will contribute to the ZEWT partnership’s mission of developing and demonstrating zero-emission solutions for all main ship types and services before 2030. The initiative will also reinforce synergies between ZEWT actions under Horizon Europe and other EU programmes, such as the Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), Innovation Fund (IF), LIFE Programme, and other national programmes.
As the waterborne industry faces increasing pressure to decarbonise, MarLEN will play a crucial role in shaping a cleaner, innovation-driven, and competitive future for European waterborne transport.
For further information, please contact: ptj-marlen@fz-juelich.de
