Project description
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.
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 (EuroSciVoc)
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3.4. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.1.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
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H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-SMEInst-2016-2017
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
46002 Valencia
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.