On 19th July, a group of Hungarian port operators together with the Hungarian Federation of Danube Ports (HFIP) took a visit at Ennshafen port in the frame of DAPhNE project.

The meeting was organized by the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (FHOO) and was structured as a workshop and included a company overview of Ennshafen port and FHOO/Logistikum Steyr. The presentation included a roof-top walk with information about the local companies and the infrastructure at the port of Enns provided by Werner Auer (EHOO).

After the introduction and presentations of the companies, an interactive presentation was held by FHOO. The presentation included an overview of the advantages of inland waterway transport compared to the transport modes rail and road. In addition, the importance of inland waterway transport in Europe and Asia (focus on China) was discussed by participants.

After the lunch break the meeting continued with a challenge: participants had to build 3D-ships based on requirements by the computer program. Two groups were formed which had to build the 3D ships with help of the other participants. Using this game, students learn about the various requirements concerning inland vessel construction based on the specifications defined by the computer program.

After the 3D shipbuilding the participants were introduced to the new transport concept Synchromodality using the LEGO transshipment game. FHOO presented a Synchromodal scenario which had to be solved by the participants. Participants were enabled to control the various stakeholders of the LEGO transshipment game (inland vessel, train, gantry crane, truck and reach stacker).

At the end of the workshop two groups were formed and both groups had to discuss their ideas about freight transport in the future with special focus on inland waterway transport. Both groups presented their results in plenum and discussed the ideas.