Consensus based, the WATERBORNE ^TP assembles the views of thousands of stakeholders (e.g. companies, institutes) of the waterborne sector represented through their relevant European Associations, constituting the Support Group, in constant dialogue with the interested Commission services. The relevant national governmental institutions, constituting the Mirror Group of EU members states send their rapporteurs to the Support Group. Organisations/Participants

The two Groups usually meet on similar dates and open the dialogue during regular joint (plenary) meetings (see schedule of meetings). These Groups prepare the decisions and policy proposals for and report to the General Assembly which approves or rejects the proposals and which is composed of high level representatives from the industry, the member states governments and the Commission.

The Support Group creates temporary technical/thematical Working Groups gathering to prepare and discuss specific issues for the Vision 2020 or of the SRA.

How to participate ? How to contribute ?

• Chairman : Govert Hamers, CESA
• Vice Chairman : Duncan Forbes, EMEC
• Vice Chairman : Bernard Anne, EURACS

• Chairman : Niko Wijnolst, Netherlands
• Secretary : Cliff Funnell, United Kingdom

• Chairman : Vaughan Pomeroy, EURACS
• Secretary : Willem Laros, CESA

• Lanfranco Benedetti, CESA

Support Group & Mirror Group

Meetings

2005

• SG01: Kick off meeting joint Support and Mirror Groups 1 April 2005 in Brussels.
• SG02: Joint Support and Mirror Groups meeting 18 May 2005 in Amsterdam linked to conference Green Shipping World.
• SG03: Joint Support and Mirror Groups meeting 20 June 2005 in Brussels.
• SG04: Support Group meeting 30 September 2005 in Brussels.
• SG05: Joint Support and Mirror Groups meeting 24 November 2005 in Brussels.

2006

• SG06: Support Group meeting 9 January 2006 in Brussels.
• SG07: Support Group meeting 25 January 2006 in Brussels.
• SG08: Joint Support and Mirror Groups meeting 13 March 2006 in Brussels.
• SG09: Support Group meeting 11 April 2006 in Brussels.
• SG10: Support Group meeting 7 June 2006 in Brussels.
• SG11: Joint Support and Mirror Groups meeting 5 September 2006 in Brussels.
• SG12: Support Group meeting 10 October 2006 in Brussels.
• SG13: Support Group meeting 15 November 2006 in Brussels.
• SG14: Support Group meeting 13 December 2006 in Brussels.

2007

• SG15: Support Group meeting 23 January 2007 in Brussels.
• SG16: Support Group meeting 28 February 2007 in Brussels.
• SG17: Joint Support and Mirror Groups meeting 10 May 2007 in Brussels.
• SG18: Support Group meeting 13 September 2007 in Brussels.
• SG19: Joint Support and Mirror Groups meeting 17 December 2007 in Brussels.

2008

• SG20: Support Group meeting 20 February 2008 in Brussels.
• SG21: Joint Support and Mirror Groups meeting 16 April 2008 in Brussels.
• SG22: Support Groups meeting 16 July 2008 in Brussels.
• SG23: Support Group meeting 16 September 2008 in Brussels.
• SG24: Support Group meeting 03 December 2008 in Brussels.

2009

• SG25: Support Group meeting 21 January 2008 in Brussels.

Milestones

• Define a medium and long term vision for the waterborne sector : Vision 2020
  [STATUS : done; brochure published and available]
• Define a WATERBORNE Strategic Research Agenda (WSRA):
  [STATUS : done; brochure published and available]
• Define a WATERBORNE Implementation Route map for the WSRA (WIRM):
  [STATUS : done; brochure published and available - only electronic version]

General Assembly

GA01: The First General Assembly took place on 5th October 2006 during the MIF Plenary in Oslo.
The General Assembly elected Govert Hamers from IHC Holland as Chairman, Duncan Forbes from Rolls-Royce as Vice Chairman and Bernard Anne from Bureau Veritas as Vice Chairman.
GA02: The Second General Assembly took place on 17th October 2007 in Brussels in combination with the 1st European Maritime Research Policy Conference.
GA03: The Third General Assembly will take place on 4th March 2009 in Brussels.

Temporary Technical/Thematical Working Groups

Vision 2020
Kick off meeting 18 May 2005 in Amsterdam.

• WG 1 on "Competitive Maritime Industry"
  Chairman : Bernard Dognaux, EMEC
• WG 2 on "Safe Sustainable and Efficient Waterborne Transport and Operations"
  Chairman : Mario Dogliani, EURACS
• WG 3 on "Manage Growth and the Changes in Trade Patterns"
  Chairman : Herman de Meester, ECSA
• WG 4 on "Transversal Issues : Education & Training"
  Chairman : Apostolos Papanikolaou, WEGEMT
• Reporting of results to Support Group on 20 June 2005 in Brussels.
  All Vision 2020 Working Groups closed on 20 June 2005.
  

Strategic Research Agenda and Implementation Route Map
The Support Group defined 5 main Sector areas, 1 cross-sector area and 5 key issues, each composing one SRA Temporary Working Group:

• Sector Area I Shipbuilding
  Chairman : Bob van de Graaf, CESA
• Sector Area II Shipping
  Chairman : Herman de Meester, ECSA
• Sector Area III Offshore
  Chairman : Jean Courjault, EUROGIF
• Sector Area IV Waterborne Infrastructures (incl. ports, terminals, waterways, …)
  Chairman : Anthony Bates, EuDA
• Sector Area V Leisure Craft (> 8m)
  Chairman : Eivind Amble, EURMIG
• Cross-Sector Area Systems & Equipment
  Chairman : Duncan Forbes, EMEC
• Issue 1 Factors for competitiveness
  Chairman : Michael vom Baur, CESA
• Issue 2 Integrated Value Chain
  Chairman : N. N.,
• Issue 3 Safety & Environment
  Chairman : Pierre Besse, EURACS
• Issue 4 Education and Training
  Chairman : Apostolos Papanikolaou, WEGEMT
• Issue 5 Security
  Chairman : Philippe Riot, CESA
• Reporting of first results to Support Group on 30 September 2005 in Brussels.

Kick off meeting for the WATERBORNE Strategic Research Agenda (WSRA) on 30 September 2005 in Brussels.
All WSRA Working Groups closed on 11 April 2006.

Kick off meeting for the Editorial Working Group on 24 November 2005 in Brussels.
Leaders : Norman Grum, EMEC and Bob van de Graaf, CESA

Kick off meeting for the WATERBORNE Implementation Route Map (WIRM) on 5 September 2006 in Brussels.
All WIRM Working Groups closed on 13 September 2007.

How to participate

• to the Support Group?
  Every member association can send 1 or 2 representatives to the meeting. If you are interested, contact your association. Organisations/Participants
• to the Mirror Group?
  Every member state has been invited by the Commission, DG RTD, to nominate representatives to WATERBORNE TP. Usually 1 or 2 representatives per member state come to the meetings. 2 to 3 rapporteurs usually attend the Support Group meetings.
• to the General Assembly?
  Each European Association nominates 1 or 2 high level representatives from the industry, the society and the institutes to the meeting.
  Each member state nominates 1 or 2 high level representatives from the relevant ministry or public authority.
• to the Temporary Technical/Thematical Working Groups?
  Every Association and member state can nominate relevant experts to work in these working groups.
  Mirror Group participants are (contributing) observers.
  To keep these groups efficient and manageable, their size is limited to 5 members (including the chairman). All contributions can be sent directly to the chairmen of the WGs or via the European Associations or the Secretariat. If you are interested, contact your association. Organisations/Participants

How to contribute to the Vision 2020 and/or the SRA?

The Vision 2020 and Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) presented on this website are documents open to comments and input from any European interested/concerned party.
Contributions are always welcome and can be sent to WATERBORNE ^TP in four ways :

• directly to the Secretariat
• via a National/European Association member of the Support Group
• via the Member State member of the Mirror Group
• via the Stakeholders Forum [Register here]