On 9–10 December 2024, the Working Groups of COST Action CA23159 – Decarbonising Waterborne Transportation (DeWaTra) convened for a hybrid meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, hosted by Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). This marked a key moment for the Action, bringing together over 50 participants both in person and online for two days of knowledge exchange, strategic planning, and technical collaboration.

Each of the Action’s five Working Groups (WGs) presented their early contributions, outlining initial research objectives and refining thematic priorities. Discussions focused on mapping overlapping areas of interest, developing coordinated research activities, and initiating plans for training schools, joint publications, and stakeholder outreach. The Lisbon meeting served as the first in-person opportunity for many members to meet, build trust, and align around the shared goal of accelerating maritime decarbonisation through technical excellence and cross-sector synergy.

The agenda included presentations and structured dialogue on key themes such as hydrodynamic hull design optimisation, emissions monitoring using AIS data, integration of alternative fuels and fuel cell systems, and the application of digital twin technologies and AI-based decision-support systems for ship operations. The exchanges revealed a high level of complementarity among WG topics and paved the way for deeper integration of research efforts moving forward.

Importantly, participants also had the opportunity to attend the "Towards Zero Emissions Synergies Workshop", organised by WEGEMT and also hosted at IST during the same week. This synergistic event, which brought together over 90 participants in a hybrid format, created additional opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration with parallel projects such as LH2CRAFT, NH3CRAFT, FLEXSHIP, RETROFIT55, and DT4GS. DeWaTra participants benefited greatly from this broader context, gaining exposure to ongoing EU-funded initiatives
and exploring avenues for collaboration on alternative fuels, regulatory frameworks, and innovative energy systems.

The success of the Lisbon meeting underscored the importance of face-to-face interaction and direct dialogue in building cohesion across a large, multidisciplinary research network. It also highlighted the value of hybrid formats in enabling wider participation and inclusivity across member countries.

How to Join DeWaTra

The COST Action DeWaTra – CA23159 is open to new members from academia, research institutions, industry, and the public sector across COST Member Countries and Cooperating States. To become a member of the Action and participate in upcoming activities, interested individuals must follow a simple two-step procedure:

Register with the COST portal by creating a profile at https://e-services.cost.eu

Apply to join DeWaTra – CA23159 by selecting one or more Working Groups via the Action’s page: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23159

Membership enables access to Working Group meetings, training activities, short-term scientific missions, and participation in collaborative research initiatives under the Action’s umbrella.