At the Maritime Awards Gala on Monday 2 November at Studio21 in Hilversum, the maritime sector will celebrate the power of innovation. Once again, five maritime awards will be presented: the Maritime Talent Award, the Maritime Innovation Award, the Maritime Achievement Award, the Maritime Security Award and the Ship of the Year Award.
The Maritime Ship of the Year Award is a broad recognition of Dutch shipyards’ capacity for maritime innovation in the field of seagoing vessels. This year’s nominees are:
- Royal Niestern Sander with the Carbon Destroyer 1
- De Klop BV with the Rotterdam 26
- Damen Shipyards with the Windcat Rotterdam
SWZ|Maritime has already published a detailed article about these nominees. Read it here.
Maritime Talent Award
The Maritime Talent Award recognises an individual for their research work or development achievements. This year’s nominees are:
- Casper Versteylen is bringing the energy transition in shipping a step closer by combining his expertise in materials science with practical experiments. His research includes the corrosion of steel in methanol and the fatigue properties of steel under the influence of ammonia, hydrogen and LNG. In addition, drawing on his previous expertise, he is working on the introduction of nuclear installations on board ships.
- Stijn de Vries has developed a method, experimental setup and a product to seal underwater cables for wind turbines more quickly, cheaply and reliably. The solution is now being used on board ships, and a patent has been applied for in respect of the sealing system.
- Rik Baltussen has developed an autonomous system for damage analysis above the waterline. This innovation makes it possible to create a digital replica of damage at sea using drones and photogrammetry and to share this directly with the shore-based organisation, saving time and money.
Also read: Maritime Talent Award winner improves dredging pipelines
Maritime Innovation Award
The Maritime Innovation Award is the prize presented to the most outstanding maritime innovation of the past year. This year’s nominees are:
- GBMS – SensoriumC-Onboard: This innovative and socially relevant system helps prevent the loss of containers by providing the captain with better information. The solution addresses an urgent and systemic problem and has the potential to set the standard within the sector.
- Kranendonk Production Systems – PORTABOT: This portable welding cobot helps to address the shortage of welders and increases productivity and quality in shipbuilding. The innovation strengthens the position of the Dutch maritime manufacturing industry by offering a solution for the relatively small, specialised vessels built here.
- Shipping Technology – Dock2Dock: This system innovation supports the crew and contributes to the transition to (partially) autonomous shipping. The solution enhances safety and sustainability and addresses structural staffing issues.
Also read: Breman lands Maritime Innovation Award with Eye Catcher
Maritime Achievement Award
The Maritime Achievement Award recognises a maritime achievement that has had a social impact and enjoyed widespread public visibility. This year’s nominees are:
- OTR:MMP Pre-Master’s Programme
The OTR:MMP Pre-Master’s Programme was developed to give seafarers with MBO4 qualifications, who do not hold a formal higher professional education (HBO) degree, access to the HBO Master’s programme leading to registration as a pilot. This required a change in the law, and a one-year part-time programme was set up, aimed at developing HBO-level skills whilst working at sea. The first intake in 2025-2026 was successful, and the next intake will follow in 2027-2028.
The programme is unique in the Netherlands because it facilitates progression from vocational education (MBO) to a higher professional education (HBO) Master’s degree, thereby breaking through an important “glass ceiling” in the sector. According to the jury, the added value lies in creating a new recruitment channel in a sector facing staff shortages, although the impact could be better substantiated with figures.
- Wista (Netherlands)
WISTA The Netherlands is a networking organisation dedicated to raising the profile and advancing the careers of women in the maritime sector, where they remain under-represented. Through networking and the promotion of leadership, the organisation contributes to making better use of talent and to strengthening recruitment and retention.
The jury particularly appreciates the growth in visibility and the expansion to embrace diversity in a broader sense, partly due to the organisation’s 25th anniversary. Furthermore, WISTA operates internationally and across sectors, which enhances its impact and collaboration. According to the jury, its strength lies in connecting generations and backgrounds and sending a strong message about diversity and labour market promotion.
- LTZ1 Dr Matthijs Ooms – Research into Trade Protection
Ooms’ doctoral research into the protection of the Dutch merchant navy (1935-1991) demonstrates that a historical subject is, in fact, highly relevant to current issues surrounding trade security and geopolitical tensions. His research emphasises that effective protection requires complex cooperation between the government, the navy and shipowners. The added value lies in linking historical insights with contemporary policy and strategy, thereby creating a concrete frame of reference for the sector and the government.
According to the jury, the work offers important lessons for improving policy-making and preventing the repetition of mistakes, with a focus on public-private partnerships. The jury also commends the perseverance with which the research was carried out and its contribution to current policy debates.
Also read: RMI teacher bags Maritime Achievement Award
Maritime Security Award
The Maritime Security Award is an industry-specific recognition of innovation in the field of security within the maritime divisions of the Dutch government. This year’s nominees are:
- Susan Christianen – Strengthening crisis resilience: a design study for a National Maritime Security Centre for the Dutch–NATO maritime domain
The growing hybrid threat in the North Sea makes enhancing our maritime security a highly urgent and relevant issue. After all, the North Sea is not only of great economic importance to the Netherlands, but also forms an essential part of NATO’s broader defence plans. Within this topical and complex landscape, Christianen’s thesis makes a highly valuable contribution.
Through extensive and in-depth qualitative research, Christianen has succeeded in formulating concrete, practical recommendations for the establishment of a National Maritime Security Centre. What sets her work apart is its broad perspective: her approach is thoroughly interdepartmental and pays close attention to the opportunities at the interface between government and civilian partners.
With this thesis, she offers a thorough and immediately applicable analysis for the effective protection of our critical infrastructure. This is an achievement of a high academic and societal standard, making her a very deserving nominee for the Maritime Security Award.
- Wytse Hogeveen – Conceptual design of a large unmanned anti-submarine warfare platform
Navies around the world are increasingly developing initiatives in the field of unmanned operations. At the same time, the complex and demanding tasks carried out by manned frigates often still pose too great a challenge for fully unmanned systems. Towing a towed-array sonar for anti-submarine warfare is a current and pressing example of this.
However, through systematic and extensive research, Hogeveen has succeeded in tackling this challenge. He presents a concrete conceptual design for an unmanned Anti-Submarine Warfare unit that is technically capable of conducting anti-submarine warfare operations over an extended period.
With this work, Hogeveen lays a crucial and innovative foundation for follow-up studies into the actual realisation of such an unmanned capability. This is a technically outstanding and forward-looking piece of research, making him a very deserving nominee for the Maritime Security Award.
- Just Settels (MARIN team) – SEARUSH – A fast and innovative production line for unmanned surface vessels (USVs)
As part of the SEARUSH project, Settels and his team at MARIN delivered an unmanned platform to the Royal Netherlands Navy in just a few months. Not only the innovative, 3D-printed platform itself, but the entire project approach demonstrates an extraordinary pioneering spirit.
Their “learn-by-doing” approach, combined with a highly pragmatic collaboration between the navy and civilian partners, demonstrates just how quickly industry and the armed forces can innovate together. This is an absolute must at a time when we need to rapidly increase the navy’s operational capability to respond to a dynamic threat landscape.
With this project, Settels provides powerful evidence of just how agile and results-oriented maritime innovation can be. An impressive and highly topical achievement, for which he more than deserves his nomination for the Maritime Security Award.
Picture (top): The five Maritime Awards winners of 2025, from left to right: Silvan Floor – Maritime Achievement Award; Edwin de Hoog – Maritime Talent Award; Teun van Schriek – Maritime Security Award; Feadship/Royal van Lent – Ship of the Year Award; and Breman Innovation – Maritime Innovation Award (photo by Maritime Awards Gala).
Also read: Security Award for Van Schriek’s submarine detection method
