Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2026: the AI Class, when artificial intelligence transforms navigation

Organised by the Yacht Club of Monaco, with the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, UBS, BMW and SBM Offshore, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has, for more than a decade, established itself as an open-air laboratory dedicated to sustainable maritime innovation. Its 13th edition, scheduled from 8 to 11 July 2026, will once again highlight the growing role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in the energy transition of the maritime sector. Introduced in 2025, the AI Class confirms its driving role this year, with 11 teams engaged in projects that fully integrate artificial intelligence into boat design, navigation and energy management. This category illustrates a major shift: AI is no longer limited to control functions, but is becoming a genuine onboard decision-support tool serving performance, safety and energy efficiency.

The competing units rely on systems combining sensors, advanced algorithms and decision-making processes capable of assisting the pilot, optimising trajectories and managing energy in real time. These technologies pave the way for more efficient navigation that is better adapted to environmental constraints. Other teams are making significant progress in the field of maritime autonomy. The Croatian team, ADRIA Autonomous Boat, is developing a fully autonomous vessel that incorporates artificial intelligence, LiDAR, multiple sensors and real-time data processing. Designed to operate safely in complex and dynamic marine environments, the prototype features an electric propulsion architecture comprising two motors in a differential configuration to improve energy efficiency and manoeuvrability. The project is conceived as an evolutionary platform, opening up prospects for applications in marine research, environmental monitoring, and ecosystem protection.

In the AI Class, the Belgian UAntwerp Solar Boat Team is notable for its advanced approach to autonomous navigation. Its project is based on a fully customised navigation architecture. Through the integration of sophisticated computer vision and real-time sensor fusion, the vessel can accurately detect its surroundings, recognise elements of the course and adapt its trajectories with exceptional precision, even in dynamic racing conditions. Poland’s AGH Solar Boat is exploring the integration of AI into the management of a foil-based platform to optimise stability and efficiency, while other teams are working on perception systems and autonomous navigation. Through the AI Class, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge demonstrates how artificial intelligence is gradually establishing itself as a central lever of sustainable navigation, with application prospects extending well beyond the scope of the competition.

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