This Project Management Plan (PMP) serves as a guiding document for achieving
AUTOFLEX’s ambitious goals, ensuring compliance, collaboration, and impact. This is the first
deliverable in Work Package 1 Project Administration and Dissemination, Task 1.1 Project
administrative and financial coordination.
AUTOFLEX is structured along six work packages (WPs), each addressing critical research
and development objectives. These work packages comprise of tasks and deliverables, and a
specific chapter on work breakdown structure (WBS) is included.
The AUTOFLEX schedule and list of important milestones are included and presented as a
Gantt chart and with textual presentation of initially identified critical paths leading up to the
major milestones at the end of the project.
The PMP also defines the governance (structure) and decision-making processes in the project,
as well as how the project will be monitored and evaluated. A communication plan is also
included.
The Project Management Platform is described in detail and in AUTOFLEX this is Microsoft
Teams/SharePoint.
Other important project management tasks, such as risk management and quality assurance,
data management and exploitation and innovation management are covered by separate
deliverables in Work Package 1.
The PMP is the initial plan for the project and is linking to several other deliverables. Project
Management is a continuous process and the content of this deliverable will be followed-up
and updated accordingly throughout the whole project’s duration.

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This report addresses the Data Management in AUTOFLEX and introduces the project’s
approach to data and the approach which the AUTOFLEX consortium will follow to manage
research data “Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable” (FAIR).
Ethical aspects related to data collection, generation and sharing have been considered. All
datasets will be uploaded, stored and handled in accordance with national and European rules
on data protection and privacy. Metadata will be added to all datasets, and instructions on
how to upload, store, publish and preserve research data is provided in this document.
AUTOFLEX will use Zenodo, a trusted and OpenAire compliant data repository to comply
with the FAIR data principles.
Each dataset will be given a persistent identifier (Digital Object Identifier, DOI), supplied with
relevant metadata, and linked to the project acronym, full project name and grant agreement
number. Publications and underlying research data will be linked, and a Creative Commons
license will regulate reuse of the AUTOFLEX research data. Data security arrangements are
defined.
The DMP is a living document and will be updated as the project proceeds. The final version
of the DMP will be made available at the end of the project. It will include instructions for
how to access and reuse open research data from AUTOFLEX.

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This document describes the project’s quality management procedures that apply to
AUTOFLEX design, implementation, and pilot demonstration stages. The close following and
compliance to the Quality and Risk Management Plan is a joint responsibility of all project
partners until the complete discharge of all obligations under the European Commission (EC)
Grant Contract, to ensure the quality of all project deliverables and the following of
coordination guidelines among partners during project’s tasks execution. The plan presented
hereafter consists of planned and systematic processes and steps to determine and ensure the
achievement of the AUTOFLEX quality objectives. Moreover, it will be utilised to monitor the
corrective actions employed and to verify that the agreed procedures are in place and are
being adequately implemented. To this end, this document identifies a list of Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) that will be used and continuously updated throughout the duration of the
AUTOFLEX project, in order to monitor the progress and also the quality of the work
performed in various executed tasks. Moreover, a list of the major identified risks related to
the project operation has been created (and will be maintained and updated throughout the
project’s course), accompanied with adequate mitigation strategies.

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The purpose of this deliverable is to establish a strong and cohesive visual identity for the
AUTOFLEX project, creating a recognisable and impactful presence in both academia and
industry. By implementing this branding and logo deliverable, AUTOFLEX aims to establish
a strong and unified visual identity that resonates with its target audience.
This deliverable addresses the project’s overall strategy regarding Communication,
Dissemination, Exploitation and Business Growth (CDEB). Therefore, a unique logo has been
developed and utilised throughout all communication measures, templates for deliverables as
well as presentations and a web-based presence, i.e. a website and a profile at LinkedIn. All
targets from the Grant Agreement are met and satisfy the therein described arrangements.
The branding and logo have been created to reflect the project name, AUTOFLEX. The goal of
this branding is to effectively communicate the project’s vision and key concepts to both
internal and external stakeholders.
The deliverable includes templates for reports and presentations, incorporating the visual
identity. These templates serve as essential tools for all AUTOFLEX partners, ensuring
consistency and professionalism in project-related communications. The logo, designed to
align with the project’s objectives, is to be prominently displayed in all communication and
dissemination materials as well as printed materials.
In addition to the logo and templates, a professional AUTOFLEX public website has been
launched. This website serves as a central hub for online visitors to stay updated on the
project’s progress and achievements. The website is available under the URL www.autoflexvessel.
eu.
A LinkedIn profile has also been created to reflect the visual identity. The LinkedIn profile for
the AUTOFLEX project serves as an important platform for establishing a strong and informal
connection with interest groups. It is designed to provide regular updates on the project’s
progress and achievements, allowing stakeholders to stay informed and engaged. The profile
is available under https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/autoflex-heu-project/.
Overall, the branding and logo deliverable plays a crucial role in shaping the perception of
AUTOFLEX and ensuring a consistent and impactful visual representation throughout the
project’s lifespan.

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The purpose of this deliverable is to establish the knowledge and IPR management
procedures for AUTOFLEX, which is based on Horizon Europe IP Management guidelines
and the project Consortium Agreement, as well as (Model) Grant Agreement.
This deliverable revisit the background and foreground procedures listed in the Consortium
Agreement, including a mandatory Results Ownership List (ROL). Related to the ROL a
suggested Innovation Disclosure Form template is presented and the partners are urged to
utilise it in case of any patenting processes.
Furthermore, this deliverable includes procedures on access rights and licensing, as well as
confidentiality and data sharing. The obligations to disseminate and exploit are also covered
and are both linked to IP Management guidelines from the European Commission.
The final part of the deliverable addresses dispute resolution mechanisms and costs
reimbursement.
Overall, this deliverable should be frequently revisited and used as guideline for exploitation
of results and is also connected to for example the Exploitation Roadmap deliverable.

Deliverable D1.5

This deliverable outlines the Communication and Dissemination (C&D) plan, detailing the
activities planned and already implemented to ensure the project’s outcomes are widely
communicated as well as disseminated. This plan covers initiatives from the first six months
and sets the stage for ongoing updates, reflecting the project’s evolution and new knowledge
gained, thereby identifying additional dissemination opportunities. This deliverable, along
with subsequent updates in project month M18 and M36 (D1.7 and D1.10, respectively),
serves as a guide for the consortium to effectively carry out C&D activities.
Key objectives of the C&D plan include:

1. Raising Awareness: Increasing national and international awareness of the
   AUTOFLEX project, its objectives, and participation opportunities.
2. Knowledge Transfer: Establishing mechanisms for knowledge transfer both within
   the consortium and with external stakeholders, fostering a two-way exchange of
   crucial information.
3. Monitoring Impact: Delivering and monitoring project impacts, particularly in
   relation to the exploitation and valorisation of outputs.
4. Accelerating Implementation: Promoting business growth and market uptake by
   integrating the project’s benefits within the European ecosystem.

The C&D plan emphasises the impoAUTOFLEX_D1.6_D&C plan and report v1rtance of using the right materials and channels to reach
stakeholders and the wider audience effectively. It also highlights synergies with existing
projects and policy initiatives, ensuring a complementary approach to dissemination.
Activities performed up to June 2024 (project month M6) are documented, highlighting the
project’s early results and the strategies employed to communicate these outcomes.
Overall, the AUTOFLEX project’s dissemination and communication strategy is designed to
ensure that the project’s objectives, progress, and results are effectively communicated to
all relevant stakeholders, fostering engagement and facilitating the successful integration of
AUTOFLEX benefits into the broader European market and ecosystem.

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This Deliverable presents the research done within the scope of the Task 4.1, titled “Impacts of automation and zero-emission propulsion on inland vessel design”. The project AUTOFLEX focuses on reactivation of smaller inland waterways using the small, flexible, zero-emission inland vessels without crew on board. However, in the first stages of the project, the term “small” is still undefined. Therefore, this deliverable offers a systematic overview of the modifications of the reference designs of CEMT classes I, II, III, and IV ships, that is, the vessels whose length is between (approximately) 35 m and 85 m.

The research was conducted in several steps, whereby each step implied a (potentially) major modification (modernization) of the reference ship designs:

1. To facilitate automation of cargo handling, the reference designs – general cargo / dry bulk carriers – were converted into containerships.
2. To achieve zero-emission propulsion and facilitate automation of ship machinery, conventional diesel engines were replaced by electric propulsion which uses swappable battery packs (stored in shipping containers) as the source of energy. To address manoeuvrability in challenging navigation conditions, the conventional single propellers were replaced by twin azimuth thrusters.
3. To address the labour market constraints and improve the attractiveness of the service provided by the small vessels, the remote-control system was implemented.

In each of the steps, it was verified how the introduced modifications affect the common naval architecture disciplines, including general arrangement, weight and space requirements, cargo capacity, safety, structural design, energy systems, etc. Recent publications and projects were reviewed to include the information relevant to the design impacts considered. State-of-the-art naval architecture software, CAD tools, and in-house mathematical models were used in assessment of impacts of modernization steps on the reference designs. The relevant regulatory aspects were considered in each step.

The research was complemented by interviews conducted with experts, addressing two specific aspects: energy efficiency of small inland vessels (which pertains to hydrodynamics of the vessels and the selection of propulsion and steering systems), and the ship operator’s perspective (which pertains to the relevance of the technologies and design solutions investigated in this Task for efficient operations of “small” inland vessels).

In addition to identifying the impacts of the novel technologies on standard designs, the findings indicate the vessel classes which could be the most promising candidates for the design of the future small autonomous inland ships. The outcomes of the Task 4.1, presented in this Deliverable, shall serve as a basis for the research to be performed within Task 4.2 which deals with the development of small uncrewed vessel concepts.

The research presented in this Deliverable is a joint effort of partners involved in the Task 4.1 (DST, SO, ISE) with the contributions of other partners participating in WP4 (FHG, DFDS) and the interviewed experts (Benjamin Friedhoff and Jelle van Koevorden). The review of the Deliverable was performed by NTUA.

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