The European School Competition, which invited children across Europe to imagine the ship of the future, culminated yesterday in a special award ceremony during the Informal Meeting of EU Maritime Affairs Ministers in Cyprus.

The Top 4 artworks of the European School Competition were announced yesterday during the Informal Meeting of EU Maritime Affairs Ministers in Cyprus. The awards were presented to the students by EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Cyprus’s Shipping Deputy Minister, Marina Hadjimanolis, and the Chair of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, Eliza Vozemberg.

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 nr 53 im. 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.

The European School Competition was organised by European Shipowners | ECSA with the official support of the European Commission, the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus, and the 2026 Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It invited students aged 9 to 12 to imagine what ships will look like in 60 years and to express their ideas through drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and other creative formats. The initiative was part of European Shipowners | ECSA’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

“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 students for their ideas and their participation.
This initiative aims not only to raise awareness of shipping’s strategic importance for Europe but also to inspire and attract the next generation of talent to our industry”, said Sotiris Raptis, ES|ECSA Secretary General.