Province of Fryslân

Relevant Thematic Competences and Experiences 
The Province of Fryslân has the ambition to become the best circular economy of Europe. Therefore they have to facilitate new circular freight flows. The Province of Fryslân has one of the worlds finely meshed inland waterways infrastructure. Despite that most of the traditional freight flows goes by truck. They possess the necessary knowledge and network to facilitate and promote new environmental-friendly inland waterway Circular Freight Flows Coalitions. Leveraging their regional responsibilities they are committed to accelerate sustainable and efficient inland waterway transport suitable for the circular economy. They have already identified several key circular freight flows and valuable insights gained through their involvement in the InnoWaTr project. As a regional authority, Province of Fryslân plays a pivotal role in managing most of the inland waterways within Fryslân jurisdiction. 

Role in the Project
Province of Fryslân primary focus within the InnoWaTr project centers on the development and enhancement of new Circular Freight Flows Coalitions between different Fryslân circular harbor locations and process location. The first Circular Freight Flow Coalition that will facilitate to accelerate is between Harlingen and Heerenveen. This Circular Freight Flow will pass the Van Starkema canal and the Prinses Margriet canal, with a particular emphasis on the following aspects:

WP1:

• Conducting additional research to assess the potential for modal shift and the expansion of water-related activities, such as those involving OMRIN (collector of circular materials) and KOTUG (ecofriendly inland transport);
• Actively forging collaborations and coalitions wherever feasible;
• Formulating a strategic plan that engages various stakeholders and adopts a digital platform approach;
• Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the viability and necessity of waterway upgrades, based on the potential for modal shift and coalition formation.

WP3:

• Garnering insights into stakeholders' perspectives and their willingness to engage in the project's follow-up phases;
• Establishing communication with the relevant municipalities to align their ambitions and explore opportunities for collaboration with the coalitions.

Benefits of Participation
Participating in the InnoWaTr2.0 project offers several benefits for the Province of Fryslân:

• A strategic and albeit modest role in InnoWaTr that aligns with our broader objectives of contributing to the Fit4-55 targets;
• A unique opportunity to closely monitor and learn from the developments from other InnoWaTr Freight Flow Coalitions;
• The ability to refine and expand our plans for greening inland waterway freight streams, with the possibility of setting up and facilitate more Circular Freight Flow Coalitions in the near future;
• The potential to exchange valuable experiences with our project partners focused on modal shift and share insights on technical, innovative, and digital solutions with universities and businesses.