CREATE3S is a new research project funded by the European Commission. Bringing together some of the leading companies in short sea shipping and ship design, CREATE3S aims to develop a new generation of short sea vessels utilizing advanced design and manufacturing techniques, enabling Europe to strengthen its shipping and shipbuilding competitiveness. The project is being coordinated by Samskip Multimodal Container Logistics BV in Rotterdam and the company says it intends to be a prominent user of the concept. The CREATE3S concept visualizes a vessel consisting of two principal modules: a ship hull module and one or more large cargo modules. The CREATE3S concept is intended to be equally applicable to container, dry bulk and liquid cargoes.