Blue Innovation Awards

The Blue Innovation Awards are an initiative by Blue Cluster to highlight innovative projects, products and services in the blue economy. The competition is open to companies and government institutions based in Belgium with ambitions in the blue economy.

The blue economy is growing rapidly and may make a significant contribution to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Many progressive companies and government services support this trend.

To put some of these organisations in the spotlight, Blue Cluster organises the 'Blue Innovation Awards' on an annual basis. The winning products, services and projects are traditionally announced during the Blue Innovation Awards Party.

More info:

Who can participate?

You are a company with a registered office in Belgium or a Belgian public body with ambitions in the blue economy;
You present an innovative and inspiring project, product or service that is close to the market or close to implementation;
Your project, product or service preferably has several of the following characteristics:
- Relevante innovative solution for a sustainability issue;
- Link with economic activities at sea;
- Market potential in Belgium and/or abroad;
- International ambitions and/or achievements;
- Impact on economic, social and ecological aspects within the scope of sustainable development (further info: UN Sustainable Development Goals).

What categories are there?

Blue Innovation Wave	SMEs
Corporate Blue Innovation Wave	Corporates
Blue Innovation Swell	Collaboration initiatives
Blue Innovation Captain*	Public bodies
Inspirational Blue Wave	Audience award

The Blue Innovation Captain award has not been awarded since 2024.

How does it work?

Step 1	A call for innovative products, services and projects is launched.
Step 2	Blue Cluster employees check whether all entries meet the terms and conditions.
Step 3	Candidates present their entry to a jury consisting of different blue economy actors. The jury then selects two nominees for each category based on the aforementioned criteria.
Step 4	During the award ceremony, the nominees present their entries to a select audience. The winning entries are subsequently announced.

Winners

An overview of the different winners of the Blue Innovation Awards up to now can be found below.

Blue Innovation Awards 2025

Blue Innovation Wave	MAHI Sense (MAHI) The MAHI Sense is the first autonomous maritime computer system officially approved for installation on internationally certified seagoing vessels. This consitutes a major milestone for the future of autonomous shipping.
Corporate Blue Innovation Wave	Geodrone 6800 (GEOxyz) This unmanned surface drone performs offshore measurements without crew on board, operated entirely remotely from a control room onshore. The result is safer, more sustainable, and more efficient operations, with significantly reduced CO₂ emissions...
Blue Innovation Swell	Data Driven Whale Routing app (Whale Guardians, Bogerd Martin, Dice Consulting and LuxSpace) The app uses smart data to make shipping routes safer for whales by showing where they are most likely to be at a given time.
Inspirational Blue Wave	AquaForest (Jan De Nul) This project uses dredged sediment to create a mangrove island in Ecuador. Apart from restoring nature, it provides insights into ecological construction and nature-inclusive design.

Blue Innovation Awards 2024

Blue Innovation Wave	ZULU MASS (Zulu Associates) The ZULU MASS is a ship that is part of a radically new logistics concept and is designed to operate unmanned. In the long term, the ship will evolve towards emission-free propulsion.
Corporate Blue Innovation Wave	MycoFence (Citribel) MycoFence is a 100% natural product that makes fish more resistant to diseases and stress. This innovative product benefits the well-being of all farmed fish species.
Blue Innovation Swell	Nature Inclusive Design of the Princess Elisabeth island (Elia and various public and private actors) In this project, numerous measures are taken to promote biodiversity around the future energy island in the Belgian North Sea.
Inspirational Blue Wave	MycoFence (Citribel) MycoFence is a 100% natural product that makes fish more resistant to diseases and stress. This innovative product benefits the well-being of all farmed fish species.

Blue Innovation Awards 2022

Blue Innovation Wave	CPS Monitoring (Marlinks) This company monitors the condition of underwater cables closely by measuring acoustic vibrations along the cables. This makes it possible to optimise maintenance and repair works.
Corporate Blue Innovation Wave	Drilled XL monopile foundations for offshore wind farms (DEME) Within the scope of this project, a solution was worked out and implemented to build offshore wind farms on rocky soil.
Blue Innovation Swell	Belgian demo pilot within UNITED (UGent, Jan De Nul, Brevisco, Colruyt, RBINS and Parkwind) This project focuses on combining offshore wind, aquaculture and flat oyster restoration and seaweed cultiviation at one and the same location.
Blue Innovation Captain	Wastewater treatment with willows: a nature-based solution (Aquaduin) The scope of this project is to examine the potential of willow fields to further purify wastewater.
Inspirational Blue Wave	Moray Base (MULTI.engineering) This project concerns an innovative concept for a floating foundation for offshore wind turbines.

Blue Innovation Awards 2021

Blue Innovation Wave	Leveraging AI for carbon-neutral shipping (Toqua) Toqua applies machine learning to data in order to reduce fuel consumption in the shipping industry.
Corporate Blue Innovation Wave	MANTA-line (BEXCO) The MANTA-line is a floating solution for anchoring ropes that provides a lot of opportunities for floating wind installations.
Blue Innovation Swell	MPVAqua (Tractebel, Jan De Nul, DEME, Soltech and UGent) The partners in this project focus on the development of large-scale offshore solar installations.
Blue Innovation Captain	Port of Antwerp: The Echodrone & More (Port of Antwerp) Port of Antwerp has developed an innovation roadmap centred around the Echodrone, a depth sounding vessel.
Inspirational Blue Wave	A triple helix approach for innovation (Belgian navy) The Belgizn Navy works together with other organisations to fight fires aboard ships with virtualk reality and to protect maritime sites with drones detecting anomalies.

Blue Innovation Awards 2020

Blue Innovation Wave	Nearshore Mussel Project (Brevisco) This project focused on large-scale mussel cultivation in the nearshore waters of the Belgian North Sea
Corporate Blue Innovation Wave	Dual-Fuel Hydrogen Engine (BeHydro) This hydrogen-powered engine can be used for several marine and other applications
Blue Innovation Swell	Coastbusters (ILVO, DEME, Jan De Nul, SIOEN Industries and VLIZ) This project concerns the installation of biogenic reefs off the Belgian coast.
Blue Innovation Captain	Westende seawall renovation (MOP Urban Design) Westende's seawall was redesigned with more attention to nature according to the dune in front of a dike concept.
Inspirational Blue Wave	Westende seawall renovation (MOP Urban Design)