The year 2026 has been officially designated the Year of Engineering by the French Ministry of National Education and Youth.

This national initiative aims to highlight science, technology, and engineering education, while encouraging young people to pursue careers in these fields.

For HydroContest by ENSM, whose next edition will take place from 28 to 30 April 2026 in Marseille, this momentum comes at the perfect time.

HydroContest by ENSM: an event deeply rooted in innovation

Since its creation, HydroContest has become one of the most stimulating international events dedicated to maritime innovation and energy transition. Designed as an open-air laboratory, the event brings together student teams from all over the world to imagine, design, and test sustainable solutions for maritime transportation.

The Year of Engineering 2026 naturally reinforces this mission : highlighting talent, showcasing French and international engineering, and encouraging bold projects that can shape a cleaner, safer, and more efficient future.

Crossing expertise: the DNA of HydroContest by ENSM

One of HydroContest’s most valuable strengths lies in the diversity of profiles it brings together.Our teams do not come solely from maritime-focused programs, and this is precisely what makes the project so rich.

Among the students expected in 2026, we will notably welcome :

• Dual-purpose deck/engine officers and marine engineering officers

• Naval architects

• Naval engineers

• Mechanical engineers

• Ocean engineering / marine engineering students

• Robotics and autonomous systems engineers

• Aerospace engineering students

• Military students

• Economics students

• Students in ecological transition management, sustainability studies, or corporate environmental strategy

• Technical and vocational pathways: maintenance, marine electronics, industrial manufacturing, composites, etc.

This diversity of backgrounds lies at the heart of our belief :

the greatest technological breakthroughs emerge from the intersection of expertise.

When naval architects debate with aerospace engineers, when maritime officers collaborate with robotics specialists, when sustainability strategy students work alongside mechanical engineers—something rare happens: the unprecedented becomes possible.

2026: a year to show how engineering changes the world

The Year of Engineering is designed to remind us that the solutions of tomorrow, whether related to mobility, energy, digital technologies, defense, or the maritime sector, often begin in classrooms and in the passion of those who learn.

HydroContest by ENSM fully embraces this vision.

Beyond the competition, our event enables participants :

• to inspire new vocations,

• to give visibility to emerging talent,

• to demonstrate that engineering is an open, collaborative, and deeply creative discipline,

• to connect students with companies inventing tomorrow’s sustainable mobility,

• to experiment, take risks, prototype—and sometimes… revolutionize.

Engineering serving a sustainable future

Each prototype presented at HydroContest by ENSM demonstrates that engineering is not just technical expertise, it is a powerful lever for transforming the world toward greater sustainability.

The themes of 2026 are fully aligned with the Year of Engineering :

• Maritime energy transition

• Alternative propulsion & biomimicry

• Hydrodynamics & energy optimization

• Robotics & autonomous systems

• Innovative materials

• Decarbonization strategies

• International cooperation as a driver of innovation

By bringing these approaches together, we can envision cleaner ships, smarter ports, and a truly sustainable maritime economy.

2026: a year of ambition

By declaring 2026 the Year of Engineering, France aims to strengthen the appeal of technological and scientific pathways. HydroContest by ENSM will naturally be one of its key ambassadors : a testing ground, a space for collaboration, an accelerator of talent.

We firmly believe that it is by bringing together students from different disciplines, countries, and motivations that we will ignite the innovations capable of transforming the sea, and the world.

2026 will be an exceptional year.And HydroContest by ENSM intends to be one of its defining milestones.