Deadline Date: April 14, 2026
The European Commission is offering grants to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness of European shipyards through innovative technologies and processes.
A strengthened European value chain cooperation and integration between equipment manufacturers and large, medium, and small-scale shipyards resulting in enhanced European competitiveness. Demonstration of improved shipyard manufacturing processes in small and medium-size shipyards, capable of building waterborne vessels in the EU/EEA. Reduced complexity to perform future retrofits of vessels and enabling the later inclusion of several emissions saving technologies and solutions. Higher capability and efficiency of European shipyards and equipment manufacturers to meet the increasing need to convert the shipping fleet towards zero-emission and biodiversity friendly maritime transport. Making the shipbuilding and retrofitting industry better prepared for building and replicating low-to-zero emission ships.
The European shipbuilding industry faces increasing international competition, requiring technological innovation and efficiency improvements to maintain competitiveness. Projects will build on prior Horizon Europe initiatives like MARI-4YARD, RESURGAM, FIBRE4YARDS, SMARTYards, PENELOPE, and SEUS, which developed solutions in materials, processes, AI, digital platforms, and skills. Demonstrations of these innovations in medium and small shipyards are needed to further enhance their adoption and replicability. HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-12 – HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions, €21,000,000, Contributions around €10,500,000.
Proposals should deploy and integrate innovative technologies and systems in small and medium-size EU and EEA shipyards to enhance competitiveness and sustainability of newbuild, repair, and retrofit processes. Pilot applications must consider all aspects of shipbuilding, including automation, robotics, advanced digitalization, retrofitting, predictive maintenance, circular economy, and interoperability with existing infrastructure.
Projects should explore advanced digital collaboration methods, ensuring cybersecurity, to improve synergies within value chains, including equipment manufacturers, shipyards, designers, and shipowners. Technologies should be tested and physically demonstrated in at least three EU/EEA shipyards, benchmarking existing practices and considering environmental and safety improvements for workers. Biodiversity-friendly strategies and nature-based solutions should also be developed.
A skills development strategy must be included, involving social partners and civil society, alongside measures to strengthen smaller and medium-sized shipyards’ competitiveness and environmental performance. For exploitation purposes, proposals should develop business plans, rollout strategies, and target groups, while safeguarding intellectual property and maximizing EU added value.
This topic is part of the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT), and projects are expected to report results to ZEWT to support KPI monitoring.
For more information, visit European Commission.
