European Waterborne Technology Platform appoints Professor Maria Boile as Coordinator
During its meeting of 28 September 2021, the Board of Directors of the Waterborne Technology Platform appointed Professor Maria Boile as the association’s Coordinator for a period of two years.
The Waterborne Technology Platform is an industry-oriented Technology Platform providing policy guidance towards the European institutions regarding research, development and innovation for and by the European waterborne sector. The Waterborne Technology Platform coordinates the private side of the Co-Programmed Partnership on Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport in the framework of Horizon Europe. Currently, 105 organisations are member of the Platform, representing the broader waterborne sector, and more specifically the key actors of the waterborne transport sector. In view of its increasing membership, the Association designed a new organisational structure.
The role of the Coordinator is at the heart of the activities of the Association, since the Coordinator is responsible for the alignment of the technical Research, Development and Innovation matters of the Waterborne TP. Maria Boile, Professor at the University of Piraeus and Head of Unit of the Hellenic Institute for Transport, will act as the ad-interim Coordinator, until formal appointment by the General Assembly of the Association in 2022.
“I feel very honoured with this assignment as Coordinator of the Waterborne Technology Platform, since the Association has a key role in European Research, Development and Innovation for this strategic sector for Europe,” Professor Boile said. “Coordinating the views of more than 100 key organisations of the sector, together with the Chairs and Vice-chairs of the working groups of the Association, is a challenging task full of opportunities. I am grateful that I am able to play a key role in the future of the European waterborne sector, Professor Boile concluded” .
“In order to take into account the interest of the growing membership, we designed and implemented a new organisational structure”, Mr. Lehtovaara, Chairman of the Board said. The Board is welcoming Professor Boile as Coordinator, not only because of the profound scientific background of Professor Boile, but certainly as well because of her relevant experience and expertise. The Board of Directors has appointed Professor Boile ad-interim, and will request the membership to formally appoint the Coordinator during the next General Assembly, Mr. Lehtovaara concluded”.
At the same meeting of the Board of Directors, the following persons have been appointed as chairs of the working groups: Jonas Wagner (VSM) as Chair of the working group on Ships & Shipping and Jorge Lara López (Fundacion Valenciaport) as Chair of the working group on Ports & Logistics. The chair of the working group on Blue Growth, Emilio Campana (CNR) has already been appointed in an earlier stage.
