The European Commission’s AVIS project, which is being led by GMV, officially got underway on 30 January. The goal is to improve navigation for autonomous vessels along Europe’s inland waterways by using European Union space systems such as the European Global Navigation Satellite System (E-GNSS) and Copernicus. In addition to improving navigation in inland waterways, the project is expected to help create new applications for autonomous vessels, as well as contribute to the European Union’s goal of transforming transportation systems to make them more sustainable and less polluting.

Inland waterway transportation in Europe is undergoing several changes as a result of new and emerging technologies, which are making these processes increasingly safe, digitalized, and sustainable. While there is currently no autonomous vessel traffic in inland waterways, the industry is already getting ready to incorporate it in the near future, and as such is exploring the challenges that could arise in various scenarios. In this regard, the solution proposed in AVIS will increase the accuracy and reliability of forecasts and enhance positioning for vessels, in order to optimize their routes and make them safer.

Further goals of the AVIS project include defining requirements for autonomous vessels and for operating such vessels in Europe inland waterways; developing a prototype for onboard equipment; providing proof of concept for the AVIS solution through several pilot tests on European inland waterways to prove its feasibility and added value; creating new regulations establishing the minimum requirements to guarantee safe navigation as a contribution to the European Committee for Drawing Up Standards in the Field of Inland Navigation (CESNI), an EU body that includes other relevant standardization institutions; and finally, participating in outreach work to share the results of the project. The project will take place over the course of 37 months.

The consortium in charge of carrying out the project is led by GMV, with extensive experience in E-GNSS and Copernicus and a proven track record in developing secure solutions. In addition to managing the consortium, GMV will lead most of the work in standardization and the definition of technical solutions. The consortium includes a wide range of organizations, including Germany’s Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), the Hungarian National Association of Radio Distress-Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), HA Consulting Ltd. (HAC), Tresco, Bergmann Marine (BM), Ernst & Young (EY), and GMV’s subsidiary in Romania.