Organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco since 2014, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is the world’s first open-air laboratory dedicated to sustainable maritime technologies. Each year, more than 50 university teams from over 20 countries bring electric, solar-powered, hydrogen, hybrid and autonomous boats to Port Hercule to compete in real-world sea conditions, putting both performance and clean energy to the test.
Beyond the competition, the event brings together engineers, shipyards, institutions and industry leaders through conferences, a Job Forum and a mentoring programme, making it a unique bridge between emerging talent and the future of yachting.
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Each year, nearly 1,000 students from more than 20 countries take part, designing and racing boats powered exclusively by clean energy.
Conferences, technical sessions and open knowledge-sharing come together to help shape the future of environmentally responsible yachting.
The Job Forum, mentoring programme and industry partnerships connect young talent with the yachts and shipyards of tomorrow.
University teams from around the world come together in Monaco to compete under the same rules, with equal chances and may the best engineering win.
A multifaceted programme featuring a wide range of on-water challenges.
The SeaLab offers a unique opportunity to discover cutting-edge projects and technologies.
Meetings with teams and professionals from the yachting industry.
Opportunities to attend a wide range of discussions and exchanges.
There is no single path to sustainable boating – there are many, and each of these categories explores its own. Solar, electric, hydrogen and hybrid: different technologies, different challenges, all tested where it truly matters on the water.
Choose a category to meet the teams and discover the boats driving sustainable boating forward.
A major event focused on maritime innovation, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has been organised and developed by the Yacht Club de Monaco since 2014. Every year, engineering students design prototype boats powered by alternative energies, namely hydrogen, solar and electric. The event has become established as a benchmark in the sustainable yachting and maritime energy transition field.
The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is held every summer at the Yacht Club de Monaco. Set up along Quai Louis II, contestants test their projects at sea in various on-water challenges that can be watched from Quai Luciana or the main harbour wall. Ashore, a packed programme of conferences, exchanges in the form of Tech Talks and workshops complement the demos at sea and competitions.
The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge brings engineering students and yachting professionals together around a common goal: to experiment, demonstrate and debate sustainable maritime mobility. Every year around 1,000 students from 20-plus countries participate in the competitions, transforming Monaco into a living laboratory for international maritime innovation.
The overriding goal is to accelerate the decarbonisation of yachting. The event promotes research on:
It’s a platform for exchanges between young engineers, who debate ideas in open source, and researchers and shipyards on what technologies of the future could hold for yachting.
The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge comprises several classes:
The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge provides a truly unique environment for collaboration between students and yachting professionals, an interaction embodied in three key dynamics: mentoring, knowledge transfer and work placements.
The Corporate Mentoring Programme enables industry experts to give university teams support depending on their technical needs and design objectives. The programme promotes innovation while introducing them to the realities of the industry.
At the same time, the Job Forum creates a space for students and companies looking for talent to meet. It therefore accelerates careers, showcases skills and helps drive collective innovation for sustainable yachting.
Founded by Prince Rainier III in 1953, the YCM has had HSH Prince Albert II as its president since 1984. In accordance with its public service remit, the Club contributes to the Principality’s appeal by bringing life to the main harbour, Port Hercule, and also federates yachting stakeholders operating in Monaco. By developing concrete initiatives like the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, the YCM is a catalyst in the collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach.
