Das Projekt "The Virtual Tank Utility in Europe (VIRTUE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt GmbH durchgeführt. Objective: VIRTUE is an Integrated Project in response to the call on Virtual environment for an integrated fluid dynamic analysis in ship design; Objective 2 Advanced design and production techniques in the Sustainable Surface Transport of the workprogramme Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems. It constitutes an EU-wide initiative of leading marine CFD players to create a 'Virtual Basin' by integrating advanced numerical fluid analysis tools to tackle multi-criteria hydrodynamic performance optimisation of ships in a comprehensive and holistic approach, aiming to complement model testing in real basins and hence substantially enhance the provision of current services to the marine industry and to nurture development of innovative design techniques and concepts. This coherent and all-embracing hydrodynamic analysis system will help increase the competitiveness of the EU shipbuilding and shipping industries, promote a truly European co-operation with strong structuring and integration effects, strengthen SMEs through involvement in leading edge developments as a means to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage and leadership and enhance quality and safety in waterborne transportation. VIRTUE's scientific and technological objectives to achieve these ambitious goals include to: -improve hydrodynamic testing through improved reliability of CFD tools -Enhance existing CFD tools in terms of performance and accuracy and further validation -Formally integrate numerical tools, using proven approaches, into an environment for complete modelling and simulation of ship behaviour at sea- Provide smooth and versatile communication and data exchange link between marine CFD service providers, such as model basins, and the end user -Provide the means - CFD tools, integration platform and optimisation techniques -to cover the whole range of hydrodynamic problems and to facilitate and support multi-disciplinary design