VISIONS implements a "pre-competitive" creative process for the definition and validation of visionary concept outlines for vessels and floating structures (potential products for the next 5 - 15 years). The definition of all concept outlines will be done on the basis of market and society scenarios, which will be elaborated and selected as part of the process. This process is vertically structured in 5 Business Areas: Maritime Tourism / Leisure Short Sea Shipping Inland Shipping Deep Sea Shipping Floating Infrastructures and horizontally in 7 Expertise Fields: Market / Society Needs Technical Feasibility / Design Production Equipment / Systems Operation / Security Infrastructure / Logistics Safety / Environment and is managed by leading industrial and research Core Partners. The process, which will be repeated 3 times (3 Innovation Loops) during the proposed NoE duration, is intended to be continued as a permanent "think tank". During the Innovation Loops the creative potential and expertise of the leading European Maritime Universities will used, both for idea generation as well as for concept validation. The results of the process , in particular visionary concept outlines, but also identified gaps in know how and R&D, will be presented to the R&D community and the maritime industry by annual “Showcase” workshops, after which interested industry partners may develop interesting concepts into real products. The identified gaps as well as information from the scenario work will be used as input for the definition of R&D strategy of the maritime industry, linked to its actual and future European Advisory Council and Technology platform structures.