Wind4Shipping

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North West Europe

Date of latest update: 2025-09-24

Description

Description (EN):

Shipbuilding and maritime supply chain organisations are traditionally based in coastal regions in NWE. Over the last decades coastal regions and the shipping industry alike faced demographic and innovation capacity challenges as especially younger people left these regions and ship(supply) production was largely outsourced to low income countries. As climate change is there to stay, maritime supply chain organisations in coastal regions are challenged to increase their innovation capacity to become fit again to contribute to mitigation solutions. Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP) can save20% of fossil fuel and up to 40% for scaled up rotors and wings. When Wind Propulsion Technologies(WPT) can rapidly scale-up to lower production costs, wide uptake that contribute to EU's sustainable shipping regulations and emission reduction targets will come soon. In W4S we will upscale production, upscale rotor sails and wing sails, we will make the shift from the present “one-off rotorsails and wingsails” to serial production of economic viable (cheaper) wing- and rotor sails. In our coastal remoted NWE regions, Pays de la Loire Brittany(FR), Fryslan(NL), Weser-Ems(DE), we will accelerate 3 innovative WPT Ecosystems connected in one overarching NWE WPT Ecosystem; W4S, following smart specialization strategies. Our W4S approach targets upscaling production and sizes of wing- and rotorsail; in 4 pilot actions we will test and showcase production-, test wingsails and rotorsails on ships and build the body of knowledge for further uptake of WASP in the NWE. This will be realized by our excellent partnership that includes, manufacturers, developers of rotor- and wing sails, smart specialization strategists, university and higher education partners and last but not least our launching customers, our shipowners. Scale-up asks for innovative production facilities, where automated production is in place, with not more, but better trained and skilled workers and a more innovative supply-chain eco-system in place to support that production. It will lead to improved innovation capacity and resilient organisations active in new supply chains for wind propulsion techniques in coastal NWE regions. We will be capture a nice part of the green upcoming WASP market worldwide .

Expected Achievements (EN):

Scaled-up production of market-ready wind-propulsion techniques by also automated production and new material use in coastal regions in 3 NWE countries, in line with regional Smart Specialization Strategies. Includes triple helix valuechain innovation for the wind propulsion technology sector leading to 3 new regional Ecosystems connected by one new NWE level Ecosystem. Validated and market ready production technologies for upscaled rotors and wings by piloting production methods and tests on ships; 1 rotor and 1 wing. Both leading to uptake of new automated production technologies and installations of upscaled rotors and wings on ships. Increased awareness and enhanced knowledge & skills for all value-chains actors in innovative production and use of wind-propulsion techniques for ships in NWE. Includes route optimization, certification, automated production, use of composites, aluminium and steel, business validation, logistics trained crews and automated production workers.

Project outputs: Strategy for upscaling automated production of market-ready wind-propulsion techniques in 3 remoted coastal regions in NWE. (EN)
Action Plan for scaling-up the production of market-ready wind-propulsion techniques in Fryslan (NL).(EN)
Action Plan for increasing rotor uptake via scaling-up rotors thanks to a retracting system demonstration and via performance measurement in Pays de la Loire (FR)(EN)
Pilot automated production of wing-sails in NL and pilot retracting system for rotor in FR(EN)
Pilot the installation and use (operation) of an innovative wingsail made with automated production in NL and Pilot the performance of an operating rotor sail.(EN)
Jointly developed strategy to raise awareness and increase knowledge and skills of value-chain actors to boost the uptake of wind-propulsion techniques for ships in NWE.(EN)
Jointly developed knowledge base for upscaled production and uptake of uptake of wind propulsion technologies in NWE'S coastal regions.(EN)
Participation of 75 value-chain actors from 3 NWE coastal regions for the maritime wind-propulsion technique sector in a jointly developed training scheme.(EN)
Website: http://w4s.nweurope.eu

Thematic information

Coastal management and maritime issues Climate change and biodiversity

Priority: (VI-B_NWE_4) Improving territorial resilience in NWE through innovative and smart transformation

Priority specific objective: RSO1.1. Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO1 A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity

Type of intervention: 028 Technology transfer and cooperation between enterprises, research centres and higher education sector

Partners (12)

Lead Partner: Provincie Fryslan

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 948946636

Partner’s ID if not PIC: NL0019.32.822.B01 | KvK: 01182023 (EN)

Department: Economic development and regional innovation strategies.

Address: Tweebaksmarkt, 8911KZ Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Department address: Tweebaksmarkt , 8911KZ Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://www.fryslan.frl/

Total budget: EUR 711 353.47

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 426 812.08

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 284 541.39

Contractors:

Name: ID Management (IDMM)
VAT registration or tax identification number: NL001543339B34
Name: Reeleaf
VAT registration or tax identification number: NL852623409B01

Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore

Name: Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 905359104

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR59332138718

Address: Rue Duguay-Trouin , 44800 Saint Herblain, France

Legal status: private

Organisation type: SME

Website: https://www.bvsolutions-m-o.com

Total budget: EUR 143 010.50

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 85 806.30

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 57 204.20

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20

University Gent

Name: University Gent

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999986096

Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE0248015142

Address: Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.geografie.ugent.be/

Total budget: EUR 411 814.42

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 247 088.65

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 164 725.77

Lauterjung Shipmanagement GmbH and Co. KG

Name: Lauterjung Shipmanagement GmbH and Co. KG

Department: Nautical and Technical Inspection

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 876043376

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 306 657 556

Address: Promenade Am Alten Binnenhafen, 26721 Emden, Germany

Department address: Promenade Am Alten Binnenhafen, 26721 Emden, Germany

Legal status: private

Organisation type: SME

Website: http://www.sunship.de

Total budget: EUR 249 900.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 149 940.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 99 960.00

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20

Hochschule Emden/Leer

Name: Hochschule Emden/Leer

Department: Institute for Logistics (HILOG), Dep.of Economics, Maritime Department

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 986039921

Partner’s ID if not PIC: DE 266112800

Address: Constantiaplatz, 26723 Emden, Germany

Department address: Constantiaplatz, 26723 Emden, Germany

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.hs-emden-leer.de

Total budget: EUR 632 344.35

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 379 406.61

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 252 937.74

BRETAGNE DEVELOPPEMENT INNOVATION

Name: BRETAGNE DEVELOPPEMENT INNOVATION

Department: European Affairs Department

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 963378490

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR70532239472

Address: D 1C Avenue de belle fontaine, 35510 Cesson Sevigne, France

Department address: D 1C Avenue de belle fontaine, 35510 Cesson Sevigne, France

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Sectoral agency

Website: http://www.bdi.fr

Total budget: EUR 330 860.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 198 516.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 132 344.00

Farwind Energy

Name: Farwind Energy

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 891262094

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR41885144345

Address: Rue de la Noë, 44300 Nantes, France

Legal status: private

Organisation type: SME

Website: https://farwind-energy.com/

Total budget: EUR 1 294 410.30

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 776 646.18

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 517 764.12

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore

Name: Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 912544767

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR34821131844

Address: Place Zaha Hadid, 92062 Cedex Paris, France

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Enterprise, except SME

Website: https://marine-offshore.bureauveritas.com/

Total budget: EUR 239 505.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 143 703.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 95 802.00

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20

NHL Stenden Hogeschool

Name: NHL Stenden Hogeschool

Department: Maritiem Instituut Willem Barentsz (MIWB)

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 956408070

Partner’s ID if not PIC: NL007369694B01 | KvK-nummer 41002686 (Chamber of Commerce) | SBI-code: 8541 (EN)

Address: Rengerslaan, 8917DD Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Department address: Dellewal, 8881 EG West-Terschelling, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.nhlstenden.com/miwb

Total budget: EUR 419 720.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 251 832.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 167 888.00

Econowind BV

Name: Econowind BV

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 896822716

Partner’s ID if not PIC: Nl857090173B01

Address: Leonard Springerlaan, 9727KB Groningen, Netherlands

Legal status: private

Organisation type: SME

Website: http://www.econowind.nl

Total budget: EUR 336 135.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 201 681.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 134 454.00

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20

Bijlsma Marine Services

Name: Bijlsma Marine Services

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 876106620

Partner’s ID if not PIC: NL8593.59.141.B01

Address: Midsbuorren, 9003 LA Wartena, Netherlands

Legal status: private

Organisation type: SME

Website: https://scheepswerfbijlsma.nl/

Total budget: EUR 679 480.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 407 688.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 271 792.00

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20

Boomsma Shipping BV

Name: Boomsma Shipping BV

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 876704819

Partner’s ID if not PIC: NL 8140.80.406.B01

Address: Hegedyk, 8601ZR Sneek, Netherlands

Legal status: private

Organisation type: SME

Website: https://boomsmashipping.nl/

Total budget: EUR 218 710.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 131 226.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 87 484.00

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

University Ghent

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

Lauterjung Shipmanagement GmbH and Co. KG

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

Bretagne Development Innovation

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

Farwind Energy

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

NHL Stenden University of applied sciences

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

Econowind BV

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

Bijlsma Marine Services

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

Boomsma Shipping BV

Wind4Shipping

Partners and Projects info

Province of Fryslan

Wind4Shipping

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Operation of strategic importance (OSI) or above EUR 5 million

Project name (EN): Wind4Shipping

Project acronym: W4S

Project ID: NWE0400546

Project start date: 2025-01-01

Project end date: 2028-06-30

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

SAIL Interreg NSR project https://www.nsrsail.eu/ 2012-2015 (EN) | This project was the first initiative to explore WASP opportunities, still in inspires stakeholders and has relevant lessons learned used in W4S. (EN), WASP Interreg NSR project https://northsearegion.eu/wasp/ 2019-2023 (EN) | Many outcomes will be used. WASP did relevant research about performances, market explorations that now are relevant for upscaling production of bigger rotors and sails. (EN), Optiwise HORIZON project https://www.optiwise-project.eu/ (EN) | Optiwise involves 3 demo cases of wind propulsion concepts, as well as a general design and architecture proposal and a novel Energy Management System linked to voyage optimisation for Wind Supported Vessels.
W4S partners are in close contact and cooperation with Optiwise partners. (EN), 1. Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe Projects (EN) | W4S will build on development initiatives funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, particularly those related to renewable energy and regional technological innovations with breakthrough and scale-up potential. These projects not only aim to create jobs and promote industrial competitiveness but also provide established methodologies and best practices. By aligning with these outcomes and activities, W4S can enhance the implementation and scalability of wind propulsion technologies. (EN), 2. INTERREG Programmes (EN) | Leveraging projects under INTERREG Baltic Sea Region and INTERREG North Sea that focus on territorial cooperation and regional innovation, W4S can strengthen cross-border collaborations and share insights across regions facing similar challenges in adopting new technologies. (EN), 3. European Green Deal (EN) | W4S aligns with the goals of the European Green Deal by contributing to the 'zero pollution' ambition and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. This alignment will support policy development and strategic implementation efforts under this initiative. (EN), Collaboration Framework: (EN) | Each of these projects and initiatives provides a framework through which W4S can collaborate with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, from government bodies and regional authorities to private partners and academic institutions. This collaborative approach ensures that W4S is aligned with both the latest technological and regulatory developments and contributes to broader EU goals of sustainability and innovation. Detailing these synergies demonstrates the interconnected efforts of the W4S project, maximizing its impact and ensuring the relevance and sustainability of its outcomes. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 5 667 243.04

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 3 400 345.82

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 60.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 3 400 345.82. Co-financing rate, 60.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Report SWOT
NWE Competences mapping
Regional policy & regulatory state of the art report
Internal Online hub for project partners
Informative Webinars
Capacity Building Workshops
Report WASP boat Brittany canal islands characteristics.
Report: Outreach programs acceptance
Report: Dissemination workshops acceptance WASP
Action plan production scale up towards steel 30 meter XL-wing
Report Action plan testing EWD wing of BOO ship
Kick off meeting with all partners
Inaugural launch of pilot actions
Action plan for upscaling rotor sail size and production to increasing rotor sail uptake
Inaugural launch of pilot actions
SWOT Analysis
Strategy Plan
Final W4S Conference
Report: Supply chain realization and first XL 30 meter wing with needed production tools .
Report of the first small 10 meter composite wing.
Report Automation of production steel and composite.
Onshore demonstration of a retracting system pilot unit suitable for large rotor sails
Retracting system brochure
Report upscaling production
Mid term conference in Brittany
Kick off showcase events, start of production.
Presentations on conferences and online webinars.
Installation of wing on ship
Report Sailing with 30 meter XL wing, data collection.
Control optimalisation and evaluation of route optimization
In-situ measurements of the WPT performance
2 Events, kick off installation wing on ship in NL, rotor performance measurement system ship in FR
Presentations on conferences and online webinars.
Cooperation platform
Ownership platform
Report
Scientific publication
Report
Designs in composite materials and weight optimization
Wind propulsion and ship performance models
Overall performance analysis
Process Visualisation of Logistic Scenarios
Logistic Simulation
Report comprehensive analysis of this action.
Report Validation WPT
Scientific publication market uptake and upscaling
Report management of market uptake
Detailed communication plan W4S
Newsletter, publications, press releases.
Website and Linked In community production and sailing.
Webinars
Communication material
Workshops, interactive sessions, events
Training module for logistic and maritime studies
Documentation of 3 General Information Workshops (in 3 Regions)
Evaluation Report on Handbook/Moderation Plan for an Individual Strategy Workshop
Report Model Course
Report: Simulator
Training Programme
Report Proposed manoeuvres for emergency situation
WASP simulator operated manoeuvring model
WASP simulator model energy efficiency model.
Training schepme: Knowledge Module for Master and Bachelor students of NHL, HEL.
Training scheme: For Master and Bachelor students of NHL and HEL.
Training scheme: Guest students. Real costs.
Process Visualisation of Production Scenarios
Production Layouts
Report

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:
RCO 085 - Participations in joint training schemes, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 081 - Completions of joint training schemes, Measurement unit:
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Programme Result Indicator:

PSR 1: Organisations with increased institutional capacity due to their participation in cooperation activities across borders, Measurement unit: Organisations

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North West Europe

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-09-24

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

70 / 70 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

742 / 742 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Contact Form

Wind4Shipping

Description

Thematic information

Partners (12)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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