Winners of European School Competition on the Ship of the Future announced at EU ministerial meeting
| The competition was originally launched on 10 December, 2025 in Brussels during the European Shipowners | ECSA 60 Years Anniversary event, in cooperation with the European Commission and the 2026 Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The high-level jury was composed of Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport, Marina Hadjimanolis, Deputy Minister for Shipping of Cyprus, MEP Eliza Vozemberg, Chair of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, Mikki Koskinen, President, European Shipowners, Rowan Van Schaeren, General Manager, Antwerp Maritime Academy and Alberto Maestrini, Chairman, SEA Europe. |
| The European School Competition invited children across Europe to imagine the ship of the future. The Top 4 artworks of the European School Competition were announced during the Informal Meeting of EU Maritime Affairs Ministers in Cyprus. A high-level jury selected the Top 4 artworks, which were awarded a special certificate: Evdoxia, 7th primary school of Kastoria, Greece; Marta, Szkoła Podstawowa Fryderyka Chopina, Poland; Nicol, a primary school of Agios Lazaros, Cyprus; Xiaorui, St. Edward’s College, Malta. The competition received 429 submissions from 62 schools across 17 countries, showcasing the creativity and enthusiasm of young people for the maritime sector. The Top 10 artworks come from schools in Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta and Poland, and are featured in a dedicated publication. Gintautas Kutka, executive director of the Lithuanian Shipowners’ Association, expressed his delight that among the 10 award recipients was Mėja, a representative from Klaipėda Lyceum. |
Mėja with her parents at the commemorative celebration
Mėja, from Klaipėda Lyceum, Lithuania „My source of inspiration for this work is a vision of the future – how ships might look in 60 years. I depicted the ships flying in the air because I believe they will no longer sail on water in the future. The colorful windows represent a modern ship of the future. While drawing palm trees, mountains, and a waterfall, I imagined that nature and future ships from a fantasy film meet in space. These ships are designed to reflect the latest technologies. They could be used both for space travel and as a means of transportation on Earth. The white-highlighted clouds symbolize the ships’ free flight in the air. There is a sense of movement in the composition, as if the ships are quietly gliding through the sky. The entire environment looks as if it belongs to another reality, where different laws apply. The background in this artwork resembles not only the sky but also outer space. With this drawing, I expressed my view of how technology and the environment will change shipping in the future.”
“The European School Competition provided an opportunity to bring young people closer to our sector. It triggered creativity, raised awareness, and inspired us with ideas about what ships will look like in the future. We are grateful to the Meja for her ideas and participation.”, said Vytautas Lygnugaris, chairman of the Lithuanian Shipowners Association