DT4GS will deliver an “Open Digital Twin Framework” for both shipping companies and the broader waterborne industry actors to tap into new opportunities made available through the use of Digital Twins. The project will enable stakeholders in shipping to actively embrace the full spectrum of DT innovations to support smart green shipping in both the upgrade of existing ships, as well as the building of new vessels. DT4GS will cover the full ship lifecycle from planning to design, construction, operation, retrofitting and dismantling, by embracing federation of DT applications as well as utilising DTLF (Digital Transport & Logistics Forum) policies and related shared-dataspace developments for the sector. DT4GS applications will focus on shipping companies but will also provide an industry-wide decarbonisation decision-support system for shipyards, equipment manufacturers, port authorities and operators, river commissions, classification societies, energy companies and transport/corridor infrastructure companies.

DT4GS’s strategic focus is the realisation of the potential benefits of DTs that will shape the roadmap to zero emission shipping, with emphasised urgency to reach the EC’s goals as early as possible, through:

• Shipowners and ship operators achieving, in the short term, full ship operational efficiency optimisations and producing improved evidence-based new digitized SEEMP (IMO Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans).
• Waterborne transport stakeholders collectively achieving medium and long-term benefits associated with
  improved methods for new vessel design, manufacturing and operation incorporating non-polluting systems and
  autonomous technologies covering all aspects of asset lifecycle and integration with smart green supply chains.

The DT4GS’s strategic sector impact objectives are the following:

1. Support shipping companies in achieving up to 20% reduction in CO2e with a 2026 horizon, by developing and deploying real-time configurable DTs for ship and fleet operational performance optimisation in 4 Living Labs (LLs) involving shipping companies, with different types of ships, and establishing fully validated industry services for Green Shipping Operational Optimisation DTs expected to be adopted by 1000+ ships by 2030.
2. Establish a comprehensive zero-emission shipping methodology and support Virtual Testbed and Decision Support Systems that address new builds, retrofits and the shipping-port interface, comprising:
   1. A DT4GS (Green Shipping) Dataspace for the broader shipping sector aligned with European data strategy and initiatives International Data Spaces association, The Big Data Value Association and GAIA- X by extending numerous Dataspace assets from reference projects (Table 1-2) particularly interoperability.
   2. Simulation based solutions to retrofit ships, targeting 55% reduced CO2e reduction by 2030, promoting the implementation of new and economically viable European services and technologies (fuel cells and/or propulsion assist solutions) and assisting the EU’s advancements in the green ship solutions market.
   3. A smart green “new-build” reference design per vessel type, addressing the EC’s target of zero emissions by 2050 and facilitating the development and implementation of regulations and policies at national and international level, including the development of standards for DT solutions for the broader sector.
   4. Virtual Testbed services for reducing the cost of physical testing of GS solutions by 20%.