On Friday, May 29, a trilateral memorandum of cooperation between the Czech Technical University in Prague, represented by the Faculty of Transport and CIIRC, and Prague Boats was symbolically signed on board the electric ship Anna Carolina.
The main goal of the newly established cooperation is primarily the effort to create an environment for building intelligent urban water transport in Prague using smart technologies and digital twins in accordance with the needs of the transport, energy, digitalization and quality public space.
This is primarily about cooperation in creating a concept of sustainable river transport, or rather ecological, digitally controlled and touristically attractive water transport for Prague. In practice, this new activity can be perceived as using the Vltava as a natural laboratory for the concept of sustainable river transport, the so-called Living Lab.
Prague Boats is a leader in the field of sustainable river transport and has long been among the pioneers of electrification of passenger boat transport in the Czech Republic. It currently operates a fleet of seven electric vessels, three of which are unique fully electric catamarans developed for operation in the historic center of Prague. These vessels, with a capacity of up to 250 passengers, are distinguished by their exceptionally low energy consumption, only 5-10 KWh, which is comparable to the consumption of ordinary household appliances. The company thus represents a unique example of the successful introduction of zero-emission technologies into everyday urban water transport.
Thanks to the scale of its operations, the availability of real operational data and many years of experience with electric propulsion systems, Prague Boats is able to provide a relevant environment for research, consultancy and expert analytical activities focused on sustainable water transport, energy efficiency and the integration of ecological vessels into smart city concepts.
The partnership, by combining the top scientific environment of the Czech Technical University in Prague and the leading river transport operator in Prague, Prague Boats, offers a unique path to the development of innovative solutions not only for tourist river transport with an emphasis on ecology, but especially for electric propulsion systems and their subsequent integration into smart city systems.
The Faculty of Transport offers a unique opportunity for students to engage in the above-mentioned topics in the form of student internships, professional practices and topics for final theses using the operational background and data of Prague Boats.
At the same time, it can be expected that this new cooperation will raise the visibility of the topic of sustainable river transport, not only through conferences, workshops and publications, but above all through pilot projects demonstrating the potential of electric ships and ecological concepts suitable for smart cities.