Danube Skills, A Learning Toolset For Transnational Capacity Building In The Inland Waterway Transport Sector

In the framework of the EU funded project, partners developed a set of innovative learning tools to achieve a transnational transfer of know how in the organization and operation of logistics promotion centers to support actors in the synchromodal transport chain. Lack of knowledge and access to up-to-date information of data, provided by a number of different organizations and different countries along the Danube is therefore a drawback for a further development of this environmental friendly form of transport. With the establishment of new national Danube logistics promotion centers and the transfer of know how to actors in the sector, more reliability and flexibility will be accomplished. A typical capacity building process covers the development of abilities, structures, strategies, establishment of an organizational attitude and the acquisition of skills and competence to allow effective transfer of knowledge. In this way, new established services of logistics promotion centers will act as future knowledge hubs to assist organizations, institutions and enterprises in the logistics sector of every specific country. The capacity building process for Danube logistics promotion has been set up to guarantee a harmonized level of knowledge by using interactive and innovative eLearning modules and by performing transnational trainings. The course design aims to train operators in countries along the Danube River Basin with no or little prior knowledge on four main subjects: (1) Organization of a Danube logistics promotion center, (2) Usage of Internet-based tools, (3) Markets & country-specific potentials and (4) Legal and administrative aspects as well as in the area of human resource. By means of learning tools like a transnational eLearning platform and learning games to support presence trainings, the responsible administrations of logistics promotion centers are trained to share know how on the integration of Danube navigation into transport logistics solutions to the commercial transport and logistics market. The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a harmonized capacity building process by setting up a concept for effective learning processes to ensure the provision of a homogeneous and standardized transfer of skills and competences.