EU Horizon Opens Three Major Calls for Ports, Shipyards and Zero-Carbon Fuel Safety — Deadline April 14

The European Commission's Horizon Europe programme has opened three significant funding calls with a joint deadline of April 14, 2026, directly targeting maritime infrastructure, shipyard digitalisation, and the safety challenges created by the transition to low- and zero-carbon fuels in port areas — making this one of the most directly actionable weeks for European maritime executives and port operators in the current funding cycle. The three calls are: HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-11 "Ports of the Future" — targeting large-scale innovation in energy infrastructure, digitalisation, and automation across at least six TEN-T EU ports, with solutions expected to reach approximately TRL 8 by project end. HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-12 "Shipyards of the Future" — focused on large-scale demonstration projects for smart shipyard capabilities including digitisation of design and construction processes, modular production, and AI-assisted manufacturing that strengthens the competitiveness of European shipbuilding. HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13 "Safety of Renewable Low and Zero-Carbon Waterborne Fuels in Port Areas" — addressing the risk assessment, regulatory framework analysis, and practical safety guidelines required for the safe bunkering, handling, and storage of alternative fuels including hydrogen and ammonia at EU ports. The strategic context: These three calls sit at the intersection of where AI, automation, and decarbonisation are converging in European maritime infrastructure. The Ports of the Future call in particular creates a direct funding pathway for AI-powered port management, digital twin deployments, and automated terminal systems — provided they operate across multiple TEN-T ports and can demonstrate high technology readiness. For European port authorities and shipyards, the April 14 deadline is this week — and the scale of investment these calls represent makes them worth evaluating even at late notice for organisations with existing research or consortium capabilities. For ship managers trading in European waters, the outcomes of these programmes over the next three to five years will reshape the port infrastructure their vessels call at. [Horizon Europe Portal]

This story is part of the Maritime AI Digest of 12 April 2026.