Since the end of 2012 via donau is focusing on the “Transport of Renewable Resources on Inland Waterways” within a dedicated working initiative. A regular market review carried out in the field of transport development identified high potential for a modal shift from road to inland waterways for this type of cargo.

The project will last about two years and will enable an information and knowledge exchange within the transport sector with a focus on Danube navigation. Therefore several expert working groups will be organized by via donau, especially focusing on different types of renewable resources like: wood and pulp, oilseeds and biodiesel as well as sugar, starch and bioethanol. Within this events several participants from the sector will take part and discuss the advantages of Danube navigation.  The aim of this working initiative is to promote the modal shift towards the environmental friendly inland navigation.

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Who says size matter? On the Danube no cargo is too high or too heavy!

Since 2010 the via donau team of experts "Transport Development" has been focusing on promoting "high & heavy" transport operations as potential "clients" for inland waterway transport. The large dimensions, high weights and specific administrative requirements involved often make road transport of heavy and oversize cargo particularly difficult.

Inland waterway transport offers cost-effective and efficient solutions, especially for transport operations to Eastern Europe. Because the Danube River is a tailor-made - yet to be exploited - solution for high and heavy transports, via donau has convened over two years a total of 4 expert workshops, which were attended by numerous representatives of all players involved in "high & heavy" transport operations.

The aim of this series of workshops has been to discuss the way high and heavy transports can "fit" on the inland waterway and jointly evaluate all measures and incentives for a stronger use of the Danube River for the transport of heavy and oversize cargo.

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The further development of the Danube ports plays an important role in increasing the competitiveness of inland waterway transport. Together with partners from Austria (Port of Vienna), Slovakia (Port of Bratislava) and Hungary (Freeport of Budapest), via donau works on the improvement of tri-modal infrastructure and logistics services along the Upper Danube. The company provides expertise and reliable data on Danube navigation.

The INWAPO project is in line with the objectives of the Danube Region Strategy and is funded by the European Union's Central Europe programme.

Here you are linked to the project site.

The Association of Public Danube Ports in Austria (Interessengemeinschaft Öffentlicher Donauhäfen in Österreich – IGÖD) and via donau elaborate joint strategies for the development of business and logistics locations along the Danube waterway.

As part of a joint project, strategic development areas were identified in the public ports of Linz, Enns, Krems and Vienna.

In the future, joint lobbying and marketing efforts of all involved project partners shall promote the development of these valuable business and logistics sites.

The aim of the project is to determine the need for a new transhipment facility in Aschach on the Danube. The study was launched by the Economic Chamber of Eferding with the support of via donau in response to specific requests from the manufacturing industry.

The aspects examined by the study include potential users, technical design, required investment costs and a possible organisational structure. A cost-efficient transhipment facility between road and inland waterway transport would allow the transfer of transport operations which are currently carried out exclusively by road, to inland waterway.