InnoWaTr Centre of Expertise

69

Talking to people involved in a particular industry is always

a good start to get a first - hand impression of it . A panel

discussion at the University of Arts Bremen included ship

captains , crew members and industry professionals who

shared their experiences with art students . This was

discussion was organised by bremenports as a training in

InnoWaTr . The panelists addressed the development of

inland shipping in the context of environmental regulations

and modern working conditions .

The discussants emphasized that inland vessels have a

significantly better CO

2

balance compared to road and

rail transport , especially when it comes to transporting

large quantities of goods . A ship captain explained that his

vessel requires only about 800 liters of diesel to transport

1 , 200 tons of goods , highlighting the efficiency of water

transport . However , panelists noted that inland shipping is

restricted by outdated infrastructure , such as locks and

bridges .

The discussion also shed light on social aspects of life on

inland vessels . Crew members talked about challenges of

living on the water particularly regarding the balance

between work and family life Crew who spends long

periods on board spoke about the difficulties of

maintaining family relationships and participating in social

activities Contact with friends and family often suffers as

crew members cannot attend holidays or special

occasions

Meet the Actors

While the proportion of women in inland shipping has

traditionally been low , there are signs of change . One

female captain shared her experiences as the first female

permanent employee at Weserfähre and the associated

challenge of gaining recognition in a male - dominated

industry . It was emphasized that working conditions for

women have improved over time , although challenges

remain , for example regarding the provision of suitable

work clothing .

Overall , the participants agreed that despite the

challenges , inland shipping plays an important role in

transportation and continues to hold potential , especially

concerning sustainability and efficiency .

Our panelists :

• Tim Böttcher , Robert Pottkamp , Jessica Nolte , Rhenus

Rhenus PartnerShip HANSE GmbH

• Holger Lüpkes , ship owner of MV „ DIONE “ ( and Master )

and MV „ Hyperion ”

• 1

st

Ship Mates Tim Lewalter und Jakob Heinemeyer ,

joined in on board from various vessels ( online )

Able Body Saskia von Glahn bremenports GmbH Co

KG

Listen to the whole conversation

in German only