About us
HydroContest by ENSM association
Welcome aboard our website !
We are a team united by a passion for the sea, innovation, and the maritime energy transition. Through HydroContest by ENSM, we highlight the people, technologies, and ideas shaping the future of maritime transport. Discover our work, our partners, and the values we stand for: commitment, education, and a true spirit of teamwork.
THE ORIGIN OF A COMMITMENT
HYDROCONTEST, A LEGACY THAT ENDURES
Born in 2014 from the initiative of the Hydros Foundation and EPFL, HydroContest quickly established its uniqueness: the first international student competition dedicated to nautical and maritime energy efficiency, a true laboratory of ideas where young engineers design, build, and test prototypes to “transport more, faster, while consuming less energy.”
Initially held in Lausanne (2014–2016) and later in Saint-Tropez (2017–2018), the event brought together teams from all over the world and concluded in 2019 with a final edition organized in French-speaking Switzerland, in Yverdon-les-Bains, with the support of partner institutions.
Behind this dynamic stood the leadership of Jérémie Lagarrigue and the decisive commitment of Geneva-based patron Thierry Lombard, a duo that gave Hydros the means to turn innovation into action, education into world records, and to unite people around a common ambition: paving the way for concrete solutions to the maritime transition.
After five highly successful editions, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the cycle to a halt in 2020. Yet its legacy remains strong: an international community, consolidated expertise, and an exemplary story of collaboration between foundations, universities (including EPFL), and both Swiss and international partners.
A foundation that today inspires the revival of the project, a legacy on which HydroContest by ENSM builds, carrying the torch forward with the same rigor and passion.
In the continuity of the visionary work initiated by the Hydros Foundation, we are now pursuing this collective adventure with the conviction that innovation and education remain the most powerful drivers for reimagining maritime transport.
Our story
HydroContest by ENSM was born from a challenge, to reimagine the maritime transport of tomorrow, cleaner and more efficient. After several international editions, the competition’s spirit found new energy within the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime. In 2025, the organizing team founded the HydroContest by ENSM association to sustain the project, connect alumni, and unite schools, companies, and institutions committed to the maritime energy transition. Today, passionate volunteers carry forward a legacy of innovation, learning, and collaboration.
The crew
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Caroline PONS
Président
Merchant Navy Officer, Instructor at the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime (ENSM), and Administrator for Maritime Affairs.
Jean-Emmanuel SAUVÉE
Vice-president
President of the French Marine Academy – former President of Armateurs de France and former CEO of PONANT.
Jean-François SUHAS
Vice-president
Maritime Pilot – President of the Marseille Provence Cruise Association; Chair of the Development Council, Marseille Fos Port Authority; Elected Member, Marseille Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Aymeric AVISSE
Treasurer & Vice President
Unlimited Master and Chief Engineer at BOLUDA France – President of the maritime magazine Jeune Marine.
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Gaëlle HARDY
General Secretary
Media and Partnerships Coordinator at Jeune Marine, and Coordinator of the Le Havre Chapter of Wista France.
François LAMBERT
Board Member
Director General of the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime (ENSM).
Denis HOREAU
Race Director & Technical Advisor
Former renowned Race Director of the Vendée Globe – Maritime Consultant and Skipper.
François ARNAUD d'AVITAYA
Technical Expert
Physicist and retired Professor at the University of the Mediterranean (Aix-Marseille University). Former Head of a research group at CINaM (Interdisciplinary Centre for Nanoscience of Marseille-Luminy), CNRS. Scientific Advisor.
Olivier DANIEL
Technical Expert
Msc. in marine engineering & naval architecture
MBA in maritime economics
Msc. in mathematics
High education teacher
Consultant in shipbuilding and eco-shipping
