Registration deadline: 30th November 2026

The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) is inviting student teams to register for the Fourteenth Annual International Student Design Competition for Safe Affordable Ferries.

The mission of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association is to reduce ferry fatalities and expand the use of safe ferries worldwide. The objective of the International Student Design Competition is to reduce ferry fatalities through designs of safe, affordable vessels.

For the past 13 years, awards of $10,000 annually have been made to student teams, with the top prize each year being $5,000. An impressive roster of internationally recognised maritime professionals act as judges. Awardees have been recognised at international maritime conferences and through media reports.

The 2026-2027 design challenge

For the 2026–2027 Design Competition for a Safe Affordable Ferry, WFSA is seeking designs for safe ferries to address several emerging issues, specifically designing a 6,000 GT RoPax ferry that will travel between the Port of Tanjung Perak, East Java, and the Port of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

There are three major design challenges:

1. Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) safety

The RoPax must consider carrying Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) occupying at least 10% of the ship's lane-metre capacity. Thus, the designer must consider the safety aspects of loading and stowage operations, as well as the onboard mitigation system in case of a BEV fire.

2. Over-dimensioned and overloaded lorries (ODOL)

The loading of an over-dimensioned and overloaded lorry (ODOL) is an issue that has to be addressed. Some current problems with ODOL vehicles include cargo manifest inspection (loaded by vehicle), vehicle securing systems and ship stability calculations.

3. Increasingly powerful waves and swells

The vessel design has to consider the issue of increasingly high swells and waves that are increasingly powerful and often not predicted.

Registration and eligibility

Student teams that register by 30th November 2026 will be provided with the detailed Terms of Reference. Design submissions are due on 25th March 2027.

Initial registration should be completed by the team captain and provide:

• The captain's name, academic institution, address, phone number and email address.
• The faculty adviser's name, address, phone number and email address.
• Other team members' names and email addresses.

There is no limitation on the size of the team. All team members must be students. Only one team may submit a design from each school, although students may join teams from other schools.

Teams will be provided with a registration number and will receive the detailed Terms of Reference.

How to register

Students interested in participating can register through the official competition website:

Register for the 2026–2027 International Student Design Competition

Registration deadline: 30th November 2026
Design submission deadline: 25th March 2027

For questions or further information, please contact Dr Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association, at .