Disruptive Technologies And Innovative Concepts For Energy Saving Onboard Of Long-distance Ships (ZEWT Partnership)
HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-10
- Programme
- MOBILITY
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Open (31094502)
- Opening Date
- December 18, 2025
- Deadline
- April 14, 2026
- Deadline Model
- two-stage
- Budget
- €15,000,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €5,000,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €5,000,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 3
- Keywords
- HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage-D5-10HORIZON-CL5-2026-06-Two-Stage
Description
Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:
- Development of novel and disruptive technologies and innovative concepts that demonstrate at least 25% energy savings for long distance shipping, compared to 2008 levels.
- Established methodology for assessing the energy savings from the proposed solutions, considering the implementation of the IMO GHG strategy and of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation.
- Proven scalability and replicability of the developed technologies and concepts to various ship types, operational profiles and navigational routes.
- Assess the economic viability, environmental and climate impacts of the technologies and innovative concepts.
- Defined implications and impacts of the proposed solutions regarding safety and operational aspects, also addressing competences and skills issues for the adoption and operation of such technologies.
- Consider AI-based and digital twin features for optimisation and energy management aspects. Relevant improvements should not be considered as part of the at least 25% energy savings target.
Energy consumption of long-distance shipping should be reduced significantly to achieve sustainable worldwide trade. To achieve a more sustainable and environmentally friendly shipping industry, it is essential to continue developing disruptive technologies, advanced materials, and innovative concepts that can significantly reduce energy consumption of long-distance shipping. The objective of this topic is to support solutions for propulsion and non-propulsion energy consumption that aim to achieve at least at least 25% energy savings in long distance shipping as compared to 2008 levels, through the development and integration of standalone solutions. These technologies include (but are not limited to) active or passive increased performance solutions, novel propulsion systems, augmented propulsion technologies capitalizing also on ship motions, hull performance enhancements and the use of advanced materials which can further enhance energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of vessels. Any fuel-related proposals should only consider renewable low and zero-carbon fuels. These technologies and concepts should be applicable to various types of ships, including ro-pax, container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers.
Proposals are expected to address all the following aspects:
- Development and demonstration at TRL 4-5 of novel, high-uncertainty but high-reward technologies that significantly reduce energy consumption in long distance shipping.
- Development of various ship concepts, conducting replication studies for different case scenarios and modelling the real overall energy savings of the solutions and concepts developed.
- Development of methodologies measuring the impact of the energy efficiency achieved on the GHG intensity and the impact on air pollution of the energy used for propulsion specifically for long distance shipping, with a focus on emission reductions, also facilitating the introduction of such technologies under the scope of LCA guidelines and FuelEU Maritime, and improving the EEDI, EEXI and CII performance where relevant.
- Consider links with digital twin and AI-based optimisation aspects for the considered technologies (e.g., adaptive and model-predictive control), including the necessary sensing systems, to expand the system’s future capacities.
- Model the economic viability of the developed technologies, considering initial investment, operational savings, maintenance costs, and potential financial incentives, to assess the economic feasibility while also facilitating decision-making in the design process.
- Assessment of the safety and environmental implications of the solutions, including technical and operational risks, possible impacts to ships, ports and other land infrastructure.
- Ensure appropriate sustainability of the action outputs by elaborating on a technology development roadmap and by exploring business cases.
Proposals are expected to explain the contribution of their objectives, results, IP management and exploitation strategy to the EU added value creation and strategic autonomy throughout the supply and value chain, including competitiveness of the EU waterborne industry, enhancement of the EU’s R&I capacity, technological know-how capabilities and human capital, and resilience of the EU industrial and manufacturing base. Proposals are encouraged to include synergies with shipyards, equipment manufacturers and providers, including start-ups and SMEs, located and/or manufacturing in the EU and EEA.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.
Destination & Scope
This Destination addresses activities that improve the climate and environmental footprint, as well as competitiveness, of different transport modes.
The areas of rail and air traffic management will be addressed through dedicated Institutional European Partnerships and are therefore not included in this document.
This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations ‘Green transition’, ‘Digital transition’ and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’.
In line with the Strategic Plan, the overall expected impact of this Destination is to contribute to the ‘Achieving sustainable and competitive transport modes’.
The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are:
Zero-emission road transport
- Accelerated uptake of a zero-tailpipe emission ecosystem, with interoperable technological solutions developed at system level (vehicles, infrastructure, user and energy grid) that support the global competitiveness of the EU transport and mobility system.
- Zero-tailpipe emission mobility solutions developed that are affordable, efficient, user-friendly, inclusive, safe and circular with concepts and technologies that are easy to deploy, considering needs, behaviours and socio-economic conditions of all end-users.
- Clean mobility solutions for a climate neutral and environmentally friendly and zero pollution mobility with a higher level of circularity;
- Increased responsiveness of zero tailpipe emission vehicles and systems to diverse societal interests and concerns.
Aviation
- Enable breakthrough technologies and innovations that will contribute to the design (addressing also eco-design and circularity principles), manufacturing, maintenance and operations of new generation aircrafts, also powered by renewable energy and sustainable aviation fuels, for a competitive and clean EU aviation ecosystem (including airports).
- Derisk and accelerate the introduction of new digital technologies (with emphasis on AI) at all levels in the industrial aviation ecosystem, while addressing all safety-related issues in collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Waterborne transport
- Higher autonomy range in electric and hybrid vessels.
- Uptake of renewable and low carbon fuels and improved knowledge on the suitability of innovative renewable and low carbon fuels and other energy carriers for waterborne transport.
- Support the objectives of the European Port Strategy and Waterborne Industrial Strategy, contributing the role of ports as energy hubs, improving efficiency and safety through digitalization, improving the resilience and security of the transport network, as well as increasing the competitiveness of the industrial and technology EU capabilities.
- Significant reduction of emissions from large vessels due to the merging of energy efficiency and renewable and low carbon fuels.
- Sustainability of waterborne transport by design, considering air and water pollution, circularity and life-cycle assessments in shipbuilding.
- Improved safety of seafarers, port workers and the environment.
Transport-related environment and health
- The better monitoring of the environmental performance and enforcement of emissions regulation and biodiversity protection in order to reduce the overall environmental impact of transport (e.g.: as regards biodiversity, noise, pollution and waste) on human health and ecosystems.
Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.
Eligibility & Conditions
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
Applicants submitting a proposal for a blind evaluation (see General Annex F) must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos nor names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application (see General Annex E).
2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
The first-stage proposals of this topic will be evaluated blindly.
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
Not applicable.
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1 BLIND)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1 BLIND)
Guidance
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Frequently Asked Questions About Disruptive Technologies And Innovative Concepts For Energy Saving Onboard Of Long-distance Ships (ZEWT Partnership)
Support & Resources
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