The existing fleet needs to be retrofitted in order to enhance and secure its energy efficiency and its environmental sustainability.A new generation of smart, clean, innovative and climate change adapted vessels shall enable sustainable transport with low impacts on the environment and speed up the use of alternative and sustainable energy sources.Highly qualified and skilled crews shall ensure safe, efficient and reliable transport services. Barriers to enter the profession should be lowered, and the professional qualifications need to be further modernized. Inland waterway transport (IWT) must become an integral part of general logistics education and more attention shall be paid to energy efficient navigation by means of education and tools.A significant part of the project activities is dedicated to IWT in the Danube region.ObjectivesPROMINENT is ultimately aimed at providing solutions which make inland navigation as competitive as road transport in terms of air pollutant emissions by 2020 and beyond. In parallel PROMINENT aims to further decrease the energy consumption and carbon footprint of IWT, an area where IWT has already a strong advantage compared to road transport. PROMINENT will focus on:• Massive transition towards efficient and clean vessels;• Certification and monitoring of emission performance and development of innovative regimes;• Harmonisation and modernisation of professional qualifications and the stimulation of the further integration of IWT into sustainable transport chains.The PROMINENT partners have found broad support among political and commercial decision makers in the field of inland navigation. Through its direct access to relevant industrial stakeholders and Member States the consortium has obtained significant backup needed to perform the work. The commitment of these organisations will lead to a high acceptance and further dissemination of results. Expected Results: PROMINENT will achieve the following targets:- develop cost-effective solutions applicable to 70% of the fleet and reduce the implementation costs by 30%;- involve all relevant stakeholders;- actively address and remove implementation barriers by 2020.