The thirteenth edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge – MEBC the international exhibition dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and the energy transition in the nautical sector. It took place from’8 to 11 July 2026 in the waters off the Yacht Club of Monaco, in the Principality of Monaco.
Teams from countries including Croatia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Canada, China, Spain, India, Puerto Rico, Germany, Indonesia, and Italy were present, making the event a true international laboratory of ideas, technologies, and solutions for the future of maritime mobility. The scope of the event far exceeded the borders of the Principality. According to official figures from the organisation, the content of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2026 reached over 3.5 million people on social media, generating more than 5 million impressions. The demonstration also received over 2,000 publications and press articles, with media coverage in 70 Countries.
Probably one of the most interesting aspects of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is bringing together university prototypes, industrial projects, and technologies in the same harbour.
It is precisely at the intersection of these two worlds that the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has built its identity over the years, connecting young engineers and yachting professionals through mentoring programmes, skills transfer and industry placement opportunities, with the stated aim of accelerating the decarbonisation of boating. These could find application on the boats of the coming years, creating common ground where research, experimentation and the market can dialogue directly.
The Monaco show has once again confirmed the speed at which the nautical sector is evolving: batteries continue to be developed, alternative fuels are finding new areas of experimentation, and artificial intelligence is progressively making its way into boat management, opening up scenarios that only a few years ago still seemed distant.
In sporting terms, the overall classification awarded Swiss Solar Boat, the team from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, who were protagonists of a particularly consistent week. In addition to the overall title, the Swiss team won the Design Prize and the Eco-Design Prize, confirming themselves as among the most technically complete participants in the event. Among the notable results achieved by the Italian teams were the victory of the University of Bologna Argonauts Team in the Energy Class, the success of Red Wave in the SeaLab Class, and the Innovation Prize awarded to Physis Polimi Energy of the Politecnico di Milano. More than the sporting results, however, it was the data collected during the sea trials that offered insights into the evolution of technologies. The different categories – Energy Class, AI Class, SeaLab Class, and Open Sea Xperience – allow for the comparison of different propulsion systems under similar operating conditions, transforming each race into a true experimental testbed.
