Meet the winners of the first Wavemaker Port Innovation Awards
Hosted by Blue Cluster as the EIT Water regional hub for the Benelux and France, the Wavemaker Port Innovation Awards 2026 brought together start-ups, researchers, investors and port stakeholders to explore how innovation can help ports address growing challenges related to water quality, circularity and climate resilience.
The first edition attracted seven ventures from Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, each offering a different perspective on water-related challenges in port environments. From desalination and wastewater treatment to plastic capture and environmental monitoring, the diversity of solutions highlighted the breadth of innovation currently emerging in the sector.
A strong field of innovators
The selected ventures represented a wide range of technologies and development stages:
Each participant pitched its solution to a jury composed of experts from Antwerp Management School, University of Amsterdam, InnoEnergy, Blue Accelerator, POM West-Vlaanderen, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO).
While selecting a winner was no easy task, the jury ultimately recognised three ventures for the strength of their innovation, relevance to port challenges and potential impact.
🥇 Winner: Algaenius
The first Wavemaker Port Innovation Award went to Algaenius.
The company is developing a desalination pre-treatment process based on halophilic algae. By treating saline water before reverse-osmosis desalination, the technology has the potential to significantly reduce both energy consumption and the environmental impact of brine disposal.
The jury praised the solution's combination of scientific innovation and practical relevance for regions facing increasing pressure on water resources, including many port and coastal areas.
As the overall winner, Algaenius will now represent the Benelux and France region at the EIT Water Grand Final in Malaga, where it will compete against winners from other Wavemaker regional events across Europe.
🥈 Runner-up: Noah Water Solutions
One of the two runner-up positions was awarded to Noah Water Solutions.
The company presented ELISA, a chemical-free electrochemical reactor designed for wastewater sanitation. The technology is particularly suited to decentralised applications and intermittent wastewater streams, making it highly relevant for many port environments and off-grid operations.
By delivering treatment when and where it is needed, ELISA offers a flexible approach to one of the most persistent environmental challenges facing industry and infrastructure operators.
🥈 Runner-up: The Great Bubble Barrier®
The second runner-up award went to The Great Bubble Barrier®.
Its technology uses a curtain of bubbles to guide and intercept floating plastic waste before it reaches the sea. Already operational in several locations since 2019, the solution has proven capable of capturing plastic pollution without disrupting shipping traffic.
For ports looking to reduce marine litter and improve water quality, the technology demonstrates how relatively simple interventions can generate measurable environmental impact.
More than a competition
Beyond the awards themselves, the event showcased the growing momentum around water innovation within the European port ecosystem.
Participants exchanged ideas, explored collaboration opportunities and gained insight into emerging technologies that could help ports become more sustainable, resilient and resource-efficient.
The event also highlighted the role of EIT Water, the newest Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which aims to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship in the fields of water, marine and maritime systems.
As regional hub host for the Benelux and France, Blue Cluster is proud to support this mission by connecting innovators, researchers, industry and public authorities around shared challenges and opportunities.
What's next?
All three winning ventures receive a one-year EIT Water membership, providing access to a growing European innovation network and new opportunities for collaboration, visibility and business development.
For Algaenius, the journey continues in Malaga, where the company will represent the region at the European final.
Meanwhile, the success of this first edition confirms that innovative solutions for future-proof ports are not in short supply. The challenge now is to help these innovations scale and deliver impact where it is needed most.
Congratulations to Algaenius, Noah Water Solutions and The Great Bubble Barrier®, and a big thank-you to all participating ventures, jury members and attendees who helped make this first edition such a success.
