Indian Student Team Wins Communication Prize at Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2025

Team Sea Shakti from Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, has earned international recognition by securing the Communication Prize at the 12th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (MEBC), one of the most prominent global events dedicated to maritime sustainability.

Organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco with support from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, UBS, BMW, and SBM Offshore, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has become a key platform for showcasing and testing the latest advancements in clean marine propulsion. This year’s competition brought together 42 teams representing 20 countries and over 1,000 students from universities and technical institutions worldwide.

Team Sea Shakti stood out for their ability to effectively communicate their innovation and engage the broader maritime community on the importance of sustainable technologies. According to the organisers, the Communication Prize is awarded to teams that demonstrate excellence in presenting their work and promoting knowledge exchange within the sector.

This year’s challenge featured four technical classes: AI Class focused on autonomous navigation systems, Energy Class explored propulsion systems on a common hull, SeaLab Class was dedicated to hydrogen projects, and Open Sea Class evaluated zero-emission boats up to 25 meters capable of carrying at least three people.

The University of Bologna’s Argonauts Team, UniBoAT, emerged as the overall champion, securing their fourth win after previous victories in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Other award-winning teams hailed from Belgium, Spain, France, Denmark, Austria, and Hungary, showcasing the competition’s truly global scope.

For many members of Team Sea Shakti, the Monaco event marked their first experience abroad. Despite this, they made a strong impression not only through their technical achievements but also through their collaborative ethos. In a noteworthy display of sportsmanship and international cooperation, the Indian team assisted the French team Nereides in the paddocks, reflecting the open-source knowledge-sharing spirit that underpins the challenge.

India’s growing participation in international maritime innovation was underscored by the team’s recognition. Their accomplishment highlights the country’s emerging role in the development of sustainable marine technologies, as global efforts continue to accelerate in response to environmental challenges.

Technological progress in the competition was evident, with battery storage capacities reported to have nearly doubled over the past four years alongside improvements in safety standards.

Team Sea Shakti’s success contributes to India’s expanding presence in the maritime sustainability space, demonstrating the potential of its young engineers to contribute meaningfully to the industry’s transition to cleaner energy solutions.