The 1st International Conference on Decarbonising Waterborne Transportation – DeWaTra 2026 is taking place on 25–26 May 2026 at the IST Congress Centre in Lisbon, Portugal, bringing together researchers, academics, maritime experts and stakeholders to discuss current research and future pathways for reducing emissions in the waterborne transport sector.
Organised by Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa / CENTEC and supported by COST Action CA23159 – Decarbonising Waterborne Transportation, the conference provides a dedicated forum for scientific exchange, technical discussion and networking across the maritime research and innovation community.
As a COST Action, DeWaTra places strong emphasis on collaboration, knowledge sharing and the development of an active European research network. The conference therefore offers an important opportunity for participants to connect across institutions, disciplines and countries, supporting dialogue between universities, research centres, industry representatives and maritime stakeholders.
Across the two-day programme, participants will be engaging with a wide range of topics linked to maritime decarbonisation. The agenda includes keynote lectures and technical sessions addressing onboard decision-support systems, energy-efficient ship operation, atmospheric emissions from shipping, alternative fuels, fuel and propulsion concepts, regulatory frameworks, port emissions, digital twins, smart maritime energy systems, energy-efficient routing, wind-assisted propulsion and onboard renewable energy solutions.
The programme also reflects the interdisciplinary objectives of the DeWaTra COST Action, which focuses on combining technological and operational approaches to improve ship energy efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions. Sessions address emissions assessment, hydrodynamic hull design, fuel and machinery selection, renewable energy contributions, weather routing, digital tools, machine learning and decision-support systems for more sustainable waterborne transport.
In addition to the technical presentations, DeWaTra 2026 creates space for academic networking and collaboration, enabling participants to exchange ideas, identify common research interests and explore opportunities for future cooperation. These exchanges are central to the objectives of COST Actions, which aim to strengthen research networks and support cooperation across Europe and beyond.
Participants also have the opportunity to follow the conference online through Microsoft Teams:
Join the DeWaTra 2026 online session
Through its focus on research, knowledge exchange and networking, DeWaTra 2026 contributes to the ongoing discussion on how waterborne transport can transition towards more sustainable, efficient and low-emission operations.
