From May 5-8, 2025, the charming city of Antwerp, Belgium, hosted a significant milestone: the 7th and final AUTOBarge Network-Wide Event (NWE). For four busy days, Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs), supervisors, and industry partners met at the University of Antwerp to receive training, share results, and plan what comes next for autonomous inland shipping.
The first day began with a warm welcome and introduction by the local organizing team at the University of Antwerp. Following a light meal, our first training session focused on how to speak clearly on camera about our work — an essential skill for science outreach. Later, a ‘friendly’ laser-shooting game helped everyone relax and bond.
On the second day, two parallel activities were held in the morning. Each of us recorded a short video introducing our research for a general audience. These videos will soon be posted on the AUTOBarge Youtube Channel. Stay tuned! Round-table discussions with stakeholders took place in the meantime, where we explained our findings, received feedbacks, and collected fresh ideas for future projects. In the afternoon, we left the classroom behind and boarded a CARROUSEL RAVE TUG for a guided tour deep inside Europe’s second-largest port, focusing on the tug’s innovative designs. Seeing these cutting-edge systems and real-life operations morning discussions on automation and safety feel even more tangible.
Round-table discussions with stakeholders
Visiting the tugboat from NOVATUG
Project coordinator Prof. Davy Pissoort opened Wednesday with a clear overview of AUTOBarge’s journey—funding milestones, technical breakthroughs, and lessons learned. Afterwards, we took the stage to present our individual research progress, with each of us showcasing outstanding achievements in our respective fields. The day concluded with a relaxing guided city tour of Antwerp, followed by an enjoyable project dinner.
Guided city tour in the center of Antwerp
The final day was dedicated to sharing our work more widely and discussing key conclusions. We presented our research posters at the conference SIGA2, engaging in vibrant discussions and sharing insights with attendees from the wider inland waterway transport sector. The morning session wrapped up with concluding remarks and table discussions among the ESRs, followed by a summary of the meeting’s outcomes and the project’s next steps.
Conclusions of the Network-Wide Event
Though this was the final NWE, it is not the end of our collaboration. The friendships and professional connections built between ESRs, supervisors, consortium members, and stakeholders will carry on, through new proposals, joint papers, and pilot trials. Together we will keep steering the next generation of autonomous barges toward Europe’s waterways.
Thank you to the University of Antwerp team and many volunteers for their flawless organization and warm hospitality. And a heartfelt thanks to all ESRs.
An article by Zhongbi Luo.
