Winners of the 2025 Cannes Innovation Route Awards for sustainable and ecological technologies

Launched last year (2024), at the Cannes Yachting Festival, the Innovation Route showcases the boating and yachting world’s latest initiatives in technology geared towards sustainability and  ecological transition. The highlighted products and services cover every element of boating from propulsion to construction and design to materials, maintenance and beyond.

The goal of the Awards is to recognize and encourage those who are reinventing recreational boating by offering concrete solutions for more responsible, smarter, and more inspiring navigation. 

See the Plugboats Guide to all Electric Boat Exhibitors at Cannes 2025

This year the Festival took things a step further by creating the Innovation Route Awards to recognize the most promising projects among the 40 selected for the Route. (All 40 can be seen on this page of the Cannes Festival website). Those 40 were in turn distilled from 120 submissions and the Award-winning entries are truly the cream of the crop, selected by a Jury of 6 industry experts:

• Guillaume Arnaud des Lyons, Deputy General Manager of the French Federation of Nautical Industries (FIN)
• Thierry Berest, Founder of Boat and Sea Consulting, maritime consultant
• Jean-Christophe Guillaumin, Editor, author, journalist, editor at Figaro Nautisme
• Geoffroy Langlade, Journalist & Entrepreneur
• Elena Patriarca, Director of Adzurra, multinational fish products wholesaler
• Craig Ritchie, North America Editor International Boat Industry (IBI)

Winners of the Cannes Innovation Route Awards

Category: Sustainable and responsible technologies
Winner: MODX 70  – MODX Catamarans
The fruit of ten years’ expertise, the MODX 70 is a beautifully designed 70 foot catamaran that offers a sailing experience at zero CO₂ emissions by integrating the wind propulsion of Aeroforce wingsails, electric motors, hydrogeneration, and solar power. The wingsails are fully automated and 100% retractable, the electric motor propulsion is an innovative twin-screw system, and the surface area sports 70 sq m (750 sq ft) of solar panels. Every detail is designed to minimize impact on the ocean, while offering exceptional comfort and functionality. Its interior is also fully customizable, reflecting a modern, high-end approach to yachting.
MODX

Category: Propulsion systems or alternative energies
Winner: M.10 – Millikan Boats
The Millikan M.10 is an innovative electro-solar catamaran, offering comfortable living for 6 people with a U-shaped lounge area, equipped kitchen and 360-degree visibility. It has a solar roof with 10 SUNPOWER Maxeon panels, as well as two deployable solar wings that optimize energy production at sea, then fold automatically at the end of the voyage, forming a 12 m² (130 sq ft) enclosed central cabin. The M.10 is powered by two 20 kW electric motors, offering a cruising speed of 8 knots and a top speed of up to 12 knots depending on the options. Its catamaran design gives it natural stability at sea.
Millikan Boats

Category: Processes or products with low environmental impact
Winner: VAAN R5 – Vaan Yachts
The Vaan R5 was the winner of the 2024 Sail Cruising category of the 2024 Multihull of the Year Awards, noted for its “meticulous design, remarkable cruising comfort and good performance potential. It is also one of the forever green multihulls leading the way in terms of environmental friendliness.” Vaan Yachts was founded in 2018 by sustainable entrepreneurs Igor Kluin and Nienke van ‘t Klooster. The yachts R5 is designed using recycled aluminum and circular materials, 95% recyclable to embodies the Dutch shipyard’s “Sail the Planet” philosophy. On the propulsion front it is outfitted with the Oceanvolt HP Servoprop (HP for High Power), with a patented technology that offers the most powerful hydrogeneration of any electric motor on the market. Twin 25 kW (≈35 hp) Servoprops with 86 kiloWatt hours of battery storage can generate 5kW at 10 knots, which the 70 ton (65 tonne) R5 can easily achieve with its 125 m2 (1,350 sq ft) of upwind sails. 
Vaan Yachts

Category: Improved navigation experience
Winner: Watchkeeper by Sae.ai.

Watchkeeper is an AI-enabled collision avoidance system that uses ultra-wide 4K optics to look out over the sea from close range all the way to the horizon and leverage Sea.AI’s proprietary database of millions of marine objects to detect and identify maritime hazards. The system can detect hazards often missed by radar or AIS, such as debris, marine mammals, unlit buoys, or even people in the water, helping crews avoid the most common cause of serious marine accidents: collisions. Sea.ai CEO Marcus Warrelmann credits the Innovation Route award to the pioneering offshore sailors and early adopters who helped train the AI in real-world conditions: “This award is proof that real innovation isn’t built in a lab—it’s built on trust, grit, and a shared drive to make the sea safer for everyone.”

Sea.ai

Special Jury Prize
B.YOND 37M – Benetti Yachts
The efforts to lower emissions from propulsion is not limited to small and medium sized boats, but stretches all the way up to superyachts, like the B.Yond 37 from Benetti. The 121 foot vessel is powered by the E-Mode Hybrid Propulsion System that Benetti developed in concert with Siemens. The entire 4 deck yacht can be powered in electric mode by combining diesel generators and electric motors supported by advanced lithium-ion batteries. Benetti says that based on annual use of 1,000 hours (400 hours underway and the rest at anchor), fuel consumption and CO2 can be reduced by up to 24% and NOx by up to 85%.

Benetti

Congratulations to the winners of the Cannes Innovation Route Awards and to all products and services highlighted on the Route throughout the show.

There is still a long way to go, but the Route and Awards show that significant progress is being made on a number of fronts, and that hybrid propulsion systems, recycled or circular materials and technologies like artificial intelligence are moving towards mainstream acceptance and embrace. Next year’s Innovation Route and Awards will inevitably take thing to the next step – or giant leap!