Nor-Shipping has launched its 2027 Next Generation Ship Award, turning the spotlight on projects with the potential to steer shipping towards more sustainable, profitable and efficient horizons.

Open to newbuild, retrofit and conversion projects across all vessel types, the award provides a high-profile opportunity to demonstrate how innovative ship design and operation can address complex industry challenges and deliver lasting value. The winner will be announced at the Nor-Shipping 2027 Ocean Leadership Conference on 8 June.

Building for tomorrow

“Every investment in a vessel is an investment in the industry’s future,” says Sidsel Norvik, Director, Nor-Shipping. “The decisions being made today will influence how ships perform, compete and serve their markets for many years to come. That puts a huge responsibility on the shoulders of owners and their partners, but also creates real opportunities for those willing to think ahead.

“The Next Generation Ship Award celebrates the projects seizing that opportunity. We want to highlight how ambition translates into better ships, recognising the people and partnerships finding practical solutions to some of shipping’s most demanding challenges.”

The initiative reflects Nor-Shipping’s overall theme for 2027, NEXT, with its focus on navigating uncertainty, evolving technologies and business models, executing on ambition, and transforming the industry.

For shipowners, that transformation encompasses both fleet renewal and improvements to existing vessels. By considering newbuilds alongside retrofits and conversions, the award recognises that progress needs to be broad-based, with all ship types given equal consideration, regardless of size or segment.

Proving progres

An international expert jury, led by chairman Malcolm Latarche, will assess entries across key criteria spanning energy efficiency, innovation, suitability and flexibility, technology utilisation, safety and security, and environmental sustainability.

Together, the criteria place emphasis on how a project responds to the demands of its intended operations, while helping prepare for those ahead. Environmental ambition and commercial relevance go hand in hand, giving entrants the opportunity to demonstrate how their approach supports both.

The eventual winner will join past title holders including Bibby Marine’s hybrid eCSOV, recognised in 2025, Terntank’s 15,000dwt hybrid tanker newbuild series, which won in 2023, and Havila Voyages’ coastal cruise ferry Havila Capella, the 2022 recipient.

Your chance to shine

“These projects give the wider industry something valuable to learn from,” Norvik comments. “They show what can be achieved when expertise comes together around a clear ambition, helping others assess possibilities for their own fleets.

“If your project is pushing ship design or operation forward, we want to hear from you. This is a chance to put your achievements in front of the global decision-makers gathering at Nor-Shipping, while inspiring the next wave of industry progress.”

Nor-Shipping 2027 takes place at venues across Oslo and Lillestrøm from 7–11 June. Alongside the awards and main exhibition, a diverse programme of knowledge sharing, networking and socialising activity is now taking shape.