European Commission signs Grant Agreement: Official Start of NAVAIS

With the signature of INEA (Innovation & Networks Executive Agency of the European Commission) 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 Galati, Marine Engineering, 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.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 769419.