Project description DEENESFRITPL Foldable shipping containers could help tackle the container imbalance Maritime trading faces a persistent problem: more loads flow from producing areas such as Asia into the consuming regions like Europe. A port that imports more than it exports ends up accumulating empty containers simply because there is nothing to ship back. The cost of moving an empty container is the same as a full one as it occupies the same space. The EU-funded Zbox project aims to tackle this issue and render maritime logistics more efficient and sustainable. To this end, it plans to develop a container that looks like a standard one but can easily be folded, allowing the stacking of five units in the space of 1 standard box. This new generation of containers will generate significant savings for shipping companies. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective The main goal of the project is to move on the concept of a foldable container to industrial readiness. NAVLANDIS has developed a suitable solution for foldable containers based on the Zbox folding mechanism (European Patent 3061707), already under a TRL 7 prototype, that guarantees a robust container with a limited number of moving parts that thanks to its Z movement requires less human effort, time and space to be completely folded and unfolded than the competitors and allows to build the lightest foldable container. Zbox Squeezes 5 containers into the volume of a traditional one, allowing to reduce 50% the operation costs, 80% the land for storage and 20% the CO2 emissions. During this phase 1, a feasibility study will be carried out with these objectives: 1) Perform a technical viability plan including in depth analysis of the technical requirements for the obataining of international certifications ISO 1456-1 and CSC. 2) Study of the tasks to be performed in order to reduce costs of production through optimization of components, cheaper costs of procurement and economy of scale. 3) In depth study of the possible manufacturer partners who may produce the containers in the expected amount and costs. 4) Identify the major market risks and detailed analysis of commercial barriers to overcome during the project. 5) Commercialization plan that will contain a deep analysis of our potential clients and markets. In the phase 2, around 120 foldable containers of three different standard measures will be built with the aim of testing them in real conditions and certifying in the standards of the container transport business. After this industrial process, ZBOX containers will be proven on a specific and controlled route, to demonstrate the real performance of the container in shipping lines, forwarders, industrial and leasing companies, the final commercialisation destiny of these foldable containers. Fields of science social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy Keywords Foldable container logistics efficent transport Programme(s) H2020-EU.3.4. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport Main Programme H2020-EU.2.1.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument Topic(s) SMEInst-10-2016-2017 - Small business innovation research for Transport and Smart Cities Mobility Call for proposal H2020-SMEInst-2016-2017 See other projects for this call Sub call H2020-SMEINST-1-2016-2017 Funding Scheme SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1 Coordinator NAVLANDIS SOCIEDAD LIMITADA Net EU contribution € 50 000,00 Address AVDA MARQUES DE SOTELO 11-11 46002 Valencia Spain See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Este Comunitat Valenciana Valencia/València Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 71 429,00
