SYNERGETICS accelerates the green transformation of inland and coastal shipping
Conference/JournalMARIN Report 147
Date26 May 2026
Europe’s inland and coastal fleets hold immense potential for rapid emissions reduction if this can be achieved through smart, targeted retrofits. This is the core mission of SYNERGETICS (Synergies for Green Transformation of Inland and Coastal Shipping), an EU Horizon Europe Innovation Action.
Led by DST, and uniting 19 partners across research, industry, and regulatory bodies, MARIN is coordinating a work package that demonstrates promising retrofit solutions - at full-scale or model-scale in the basin, or in our Zero Emission Lab (ZEL).
Led by DST, and uniting 19 partners across research, industry, and regulatory bodies, MARIN is coordinating a work package that demonstrates promising retrofit solutions - at full-scale or model-scale in the basin, or in our Zero Emission Lab (ZEL).
Contact
Nicole van Spronsen
senior project manager
Choosing the right retrofit
The technology landscape for shipping decarbonisation has never been richer. Yet the implementation of these technologies on board remains limited, particularly for existing vessels. Why? SYNERGETICS identified a familiar set of barriers: fragmented initiatives without integration, slow-moving regulations that lag behind technological progress, limited cross-sector standardisation, and the persistent ‘chicken-and-egg' challenge around fuel availability, infrastructure, and investment certainty.
Under MARIN’s lead, the work package covers a spectrum of greening measures