news
ARP On The Go: A Trip to the Netherlands
22 May 2025

ARP On The Go: A Trip to the Netherlands

A fundamental component of the Master in International and Development Studies (MINT) are the Applied Research Projects (ARPs), which encourage students to engage in practical and professional frameworks. In March 2025, three students – Anja von Matt , Ela Gokcigdem and Jacqueline Alemayehu –visited The Netherlands as part of their research project. 

Their ARP is a collaborative initiative with United Waterways, aimed at advancing the decarbonization of inland waterway transportation (IWT) in Europe. A key focus of their project is assessing the infrastructure and retrofitting capacities of shipyards. Retrofitting involves upgrading existing ships to make them more environmentally friendly and reduce their emissions. Their objective is to evaluate the current state of shipyard retrofitting capabilities and their role in preparing European fleets to meet the EU Green Deal targets for 2050.

Claudia Seymour_Profile Official MINT
Claudia SEYMOUR
Head, Applied Research Projects and Practice, MINT

The Trip & Key Learnings 

During their trip to the Netherlands, they visited two inland waterway shipyards and conducted insightful interviews. They observed firsthand how shipyards retrofit and build new vessels, gaining a deep understanding of the infrastructure and workforce required for these operations. This hands-on experience provided invaluable context to their project, as none of them had prior experience in this highly specialized sector. The trip was an eye-opening opportunity that made their ARP more tangible and helped them appreciate the complexities of shipyard operations and their critical role in decarbonizing the European IWT sector.

You all mention a very detailed outline of this experience. It seems that this experience was eye-opening, could you kindly provide further details on some of the specifics you were presented with in relation to shipyard operations and how this fundamentally supported your ARP. 

None of us were fully aware of the importance of the IWT sector for transportation within the EU, especially since none of us lived near major shipping routes. It was fascinating to see the massive ships transporting bulk commodities like coal on dry cargo vessels, petroleum products in liquid cargo vessels, and other materials. Before, we had only read about the technical aspects and sizes of ships and shipyards, so experiencing their scale in person was crucial to understanding it. We had the opportunity to board newly built, unfinished boats, where we saw raw electrical systems, the future location for hydrogen tanks, and the engine room. We also observed how ships are lifted out of the water in various ways and worked on while still in the water. Conducting these crucial interviews in person was both necessary and highly beneficial, as it allowed us to directly observe explanations while viewing the ships and foster a more personal connection.  

Could you give me some details regarding the duration and organisation of the trip?

The trip was organized and facilitated by our contact at United Waterways. We spent the entire day there on Friday, March 21.

What are some takeaways that were specific to each of you? 

Jacqueline: "I'm a visual learner, so reading about the technicalities and sizes of ships didn't fully resonate with me. Visiting the shipyards and seeing the ships in person gave me a clearer perspective on the scale and the work involved. Now, I have a deeper understanding of the effort behind each ship."

Anja: "Visiting the Netherlands really helped me piece together the complex structures of the shipping sector. Being there in person made it possible to have much deeper discussions and to connect everything we had learned from the literature review and survey with real-world insights. What impressed me most was seeing the actual spots on the ships where hydrogen technologies will be implemented – it made the future of these innovations feel much more real and tangible."

Ela: "Immersing ourselves into our research project was incredibly beneficial, both personally and professionally. Putting names to faces, talking to the incredible amount of workers whose manual labour goes into manufacturing the ships we are researching, made our ARP project more personal. Seeing the international decarbonization trends that continuously highlight how “accessible” maritime decarbonization is, but matching these stories with the frustrations of shipyard workers and developers allowed us to obtain a systemic understanding of the challenges that are facing not only river cruise decarbonization, but decarbonization as a whole."