Nature uses foam or sponge-like structures in various organisms for purposes like shock absorption, noise reduction, and vibration compensation in a remarkable example of evolutionary adaptation and functional design. On the other hand, many products still rely on non-sustainable materials of fossil-based origin, for example foams and elastomeric used for vibratory motion, sound, harshness, energy, and shock-impact absorption in industries such as automotive, aerospace and marine. Example of such Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) materials are rubber and engineering resins. Bio.3DGREEN develops and demonstrates a novel manufacturing approach for a cost-effective bio-inspired platform of bio-based components based on graphene foam (GF) to meet the industrial needs, i.e. vibration, sound and shock-impact absorption and durability in extreme conditions. Bio.3DGREEN democratizes graphene technology and enables the unscalable fabrication of graphene-based components of complex geometries to be demonstrated at TRL 6 through a high throughput, laser-based Additive Manufacturing (AM) procedure. The procedure is bio-inspired, mimicking structures such as the human bone, and is based solely on bio-based graphene system with vegetable oil as the raw material, resulting in carbon-positive manufacturing of the new components. Bio.3DGREEN demonstrates the superior bio-based GF parts in four different industries, aiming to drive the optimization of the new manufacturing approach through an application-driven approach: Automotive suspension systems & isolation panels, aerospace applications and quiet shipping. Bio.3DGREEN achieves a multi-disciplinary approach to develop, optimize, and improve smart manufacturing application-driven, bio-based GF components, also considering the performance of current materials used, their cost, market size, wastage and recyclability, sustainability of manufacturing process, inclusion in Europe’s circular economy and LCA, LCC aspects.

MOSES aims to significantly enhance the SSS component MOSES aims to significantly enhance the SSS component of the European container supply chain by addressing the vulnerabilities and strains that relate to the operation of large containerships. MOSES will follow a two-fold strategy for reducing the total time to berth for TEN-T Hub Ports and stimulating the use of SSS feeder services to small ports (hub and spoke traffic) that have limited or no infrastructure. MOSES will achieve its objectives by implementing the following innovations: (i) For the SSS leg, an innovative, hybrid electric feeder vessel designed to match dominant SSS business cases that will increase the utilization rate of small ports. The feeder will be outfitted with a robotic container-handling system that is self-sufficient in terms of (un)loading containerised cargo and will simplify the process at the Hub Ports while improving the operational capacity of small ports; (ii) For DSS ports, the adoption of an autonomous vessel manoeuvring and docking scheme (MOSES AutoDock) that will provide operational independency from the availability of port services. This scheme will be based on the cooperation of (a) a swarm of autonomous tugboats that automates manoeuvring with (b) an automated docking system based on an existing product; (iii) A digital collaboration and matchmaking platform (MOSES platform) aiming to match demand and supply of cargo volumes by logistics stakeholders using Machine Learning (ML) and data driven-based analysis to maximize SSS traffic. MOSES will be validated by pilot demonstrations in relevant testing environments (TRL5), supported by concrete business cases. A sustainability framework will be developed within the project for evaluating the performance and viability of the proposed innovations with sustainability criteria and benchmarking them against alternative transportation modes. This evaluation will also lead to concrete policy recommendations regarding SSS in Europe.