NAVAIS

European Commission signs Grant Agreement marking the official start of NAVAIS

With the signature of Innovation & Networks Executive Agency of the European Commission (INEA) on the Grant Agreement of NAVAIS, the project officially started on June, 1 2018. NAVAIS is a multiannual research- and innovation program for the shipbuilding industry. The results of NAVAIS will increase efficiency in design and flexibility in production networks. In total, the European Commission will invest € 6.5 million Euros over a period of four years, by means of the Horizon 2020 program, the research- and innovation program of the European Commission.

New, Advanced and Value-added Innovative Ships

The European maritime technology sector generates an annual turnover of € 91 billion and creates more than 500,000 direct jobs and more than 400,000 indirect jobs, primarily for European citizens. However, worldwide competition is fierce, and in order to maintain world-leadership in complex, value-added and highly specialised vessels European shipbuilders must develop tailor-made innovative concepts that are efficient to design and build. NAVAIS will develop a platform-based modular product family approach supported by the 3DEXPERIENCE integrated business platform. This concept will increase efficiency in vessel design and flexibility in production networks. NAVAIS will specifically focus on passenger/road ferries and multi-use workboats integrating sustainability in the design of the ships. NAVAIS will support the transfer from an engineered-to-order business model to an assemble-to-order business model, which will allow shorter process lead-times, constant quality, reduced design and production costs and better integration of the SME supply chain, thereby increasing competitiveness of the European shipbuilding industry.

Project partners

Damen Shipyards, with its headquarters in Gorinchem, the Netherlands, will coordinate the project in close cooperation with Netherlands Maritime Technology. Fourteen other partners will participate in NAVAIS: Marine Design Engineering Mykolayiv, Damen Shipyards Galati, Marine Engineering Galati, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, Marin, Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek, Technische Universiteit Delft, Dassault Systems, Eekels Technology, Heliox, Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding, Schunk Bahn- und Industrietechnik, Center of Maritime Technologies and Sea Europe.

NAVAIS – Setting the course

The NAVAIS project, which started on 1 June 2018, discussed its first major developments during a meeting of the consortium from 19 to 21 November 2018 in Vélizy, France.

The market developments in the area of passenger/road ferries, up to 400 passengers and 120 cars, as well as for multi-use workboats, were discussed by the team. Based on the market developments, NAVAIS will decide which designs to aim for during the project lifetime, after setting the requirements for the ships.

An overview of existing rules and regulations with respect to the various emission types were presented and discussed. Firstly to ensure the vessels which will be designed on basis of the NAVAIS approach will comply with the applicable rules and regulations, but secondly to provide insight in which emission reductions “beyond” the regulations provide the most effective low impact characteristics. Based on these performance criteria, the NAVAIS team will next discuss technologies available to reach “low impact” emission targets, thereby focusing on a transition towards low-emission or even zero-emission shipping.

As the meeting was hosted by Dassault Systèmes, it was the unique opportunity to discuss and to discover the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform during a dedicated session. The business collaborative experience platform will be used by the NAVAIS team. It provides software solutions for every work packages of the project to help to implement NAVAIS main ideas.
With a single, easy-to-use interface, it powers Industry Solution Experiences – based on 3D design, analysis, simulation, and intelligence software in a collaborative, interactive environment. It is available on premise and on cloud.

Finally, communication of project results, as well as a continuous dialogue with the most important stakeholders, were discussed as well. The first set of communication activities has been exploited, amongst others the development of the NAVAIS website.

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