The Competition
WEGEMT VISIONS covers PhD theses completed at current WEGEMT member universities in the field of maritime technology
WEGEMT VISIONS covers PhD theses completed at current WEGEMT member universities in the field of maritime technology
The competition is open to all candidates who have successfully defended their PhD theses in maritime technology during the five previous calendar years.
The thesis topics must be related to maritime technology, including but not limited to the following themes (Multidisciplinary thesis topics are welcomed, too):
- Naval architecture
- Marine engineering
- Ocean engineering
- Offshore engineering
- Maritime transport and logistics
- Inland waterway transport
- Protection of the marine environment
- Maritime safety
Join the WEGEMT VISIONS competition
The submission period is open until 31/12/2025, where all the participants are invited to register their applications for the PhD Competition.
The submission requirements are the filled form of application, a copy of the PhD thesis, a brief statement of the applicant summarizing the thesis, a CV of the candidate and a proof of successful defence (e.g., a degree certificate)
The submission phase will be followed by an Evaluation Period during which a judging panel will determine the top 3 theses. The winner certificates and their prizes will be presented in an award ceremony, eventually during the annual meeting of WEGEMT.
Themes
Naval
Architecture
Marine engineering
Ocean engineering
Offshore engineering
Maritime transport and logistics
Inland waterway transport
Protection
of the marine environment
Maritime
safety
Competition schedule
01
JUL 2025
Official Start Date of the Contest
This is the registration period during which all participants are invited to submit their applications. The participants must submit their applications from July 1, 2025, to December 30, 2025.
Register online with all the informations about you and about your thesis.
31
DEC 2025
End of the registration period
Participants can submit their project unti this date. Late, ineligible or incomplete submissions will be discarded and will not participate to the contest.
30
MAR 2026
End of the evaluation period / Final version submission deadline
During this period the projects will be evaluated and the judging panel will determine the top three ideas. The evaluation will be based on Originality, Accademic excellence, Significance, Societal impact, Clarity and quality of presentation and some bonus points for Joint Degrees and Industrial involvement.
Autumn
2026
Awards ceremony
date TBA
Competition rules
1
PhD thesis defended at current WEGEMT member Universities are eligible.
2
Only one entry will be accepted per person/team and all entries must follow the main themes presented.
3
The registration period is from 01/07/2025 to 31/12/2025 in which participants are invited to submit their thesis.
4
All submitted entries will automatically give their permission for their project to go public on the website. It’s the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that such publication does not breach the copyright of others
5
All documents must be drafted in English and submitted in PDF format.
6
The deadline for the thesis submission is 31/12/2025 at Mid-night Central European Time. Any entries beyond this time will not be accepted unless an extension is granted.
7
Only entries submitted within the online submission section of the WEGEMT Visions website will be accepted
8
The competition is open to candidates who defended their PhD thesis in a College or University that is a current WEGEMT member.
9
There will be one winning thesis, whose author will receive a prize of €5,000. The 2nd and 3rd runner-ups will receive certificates of excellence for their achievements and will be allowed to apply again in the following competition, provided they are still within the new 5-year period. Winners will be invited to the WEGEMT Awards ceremony to present their work and receive their awards. All participants will receive a certificate of participation.
10
Entrants must indicate a supervising professor. The WEGEMT Visions organisers can contact the supervising professor to verify the submitted idea and the entrants. Entrants must provide all requested details when entering the competition, as outlined in the Application Form. Entrants must comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes. No responibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently. Entrants will bee deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition.
11
The WEGEMT Visions organizers do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to poor performance of the internet or any other technical difficulties on the applicants side – applicants are advised to apply as early as possible.
12
Without the expressed permission of the organisers, this competition is not open to contractors or employees of WEGEMT Visions, or anyone already involved or participating, or any person directly involved in the organisation, or their direct family members.
13
The Judges decision is final in every situation including any not covered above and no correspondence will be entered into . The Judges reserve the right to have discretion regarding the rules. The organisers reserve the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in their opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of their control.
Submission requirements
Candidates must submit the following documents
1
The filled form of application
2
A copy of the PhD thesis.
3
A brief statement of the applicant summarising the thesis and indicating its strong points (not more than 5 pages)
4
A CV of the candidate
5
Proof of successful defence (e.g., a degree certificate).
All documents must be drafted in English and submitted in PDF format.
The candidate should submit the documents on the Visions competition website and inform the WEGEMT Secretariat by email, so that it can be made sure that the submission was well received.
The Secretariat should maintain a log of received submissions.
Candidates should be provided with contact details in case of inquiries.
Evaluation criteria
Originality
Understood as the extent to which the thesis makes an important and innovative contribution to understanding and knowledge within the respective theme.
max. score: 20
Academic excellence
The panellists will expect to see evidence of, or the potential for, some of the following types of characteristics across and possibly beyond the thesis theme/area:
• Agenda-setting, a formative influence on the intellectual agenda
• Research that is leading or at the forefront of the research theme/area
• Great novelty in developing new thinking, new techniques or novel results
• Major influence on a research theme or area
• Developing new paradigms or fundamental new concepts for research
max. score: 30
Significance
Understood as the extent to which the work has influenced, or has the capacity to influence, knowledge and scholarly thought or the development and understanding of policy and/or practice
max. score: 30
Societal impact
- the activity, attitude, awareness, behaviour, capacity, opportunity, performance, policy, practice, process or understanding
- of an audience, beneficiary, community, constituency, organisation, industry or individuals
- in any geographic location, whether locally, regionally, nationally or internationally
- Societal impact includes the reduction or prevention of risk, cost or other negative effects
- Major changes in policy or practice
- Major influence on processes, production and management
- Major influence on user engagement
- A primary or essential point of reference of profound influence
max. score: 15
Clarity and quality of presentation
Understood as the extent to which the text is reader friendly, the argumentation is solid and comprehensible, and there is a clear logical thread.
max. score: 10
BONUSES
Industrial involvement bonus
PhD projects funded by an industrial partner are eligible for a bonus of 5 points to be added to the average score of the panellists. The thesis supervisor should certify this condition with their letter of recommendation.
max. bonus: 5
Joint degree bonus
PhD projects offered by more than one university or involving a more than 3-month external stay in another European maritime technology university are eligible for a bonus of 5 points to be added to the average score of the panellists. The thesis supervisor should certify this condition with their letter of recommendation.
max. bonus: 5
More information
For more information about the contest download the “WEGEMT Visions Phd Award”
Previous competitions
Discover a comprehensive list of all the winners from previous competitions, along with their exceptional projects, highlighting their creativity, innovation, serving as an inspiring showcase of talent and achievement.
