Navigating a Greener Tomorrow
Celebrate Alessandro Volta's legacy on lake Como in 2027 with two Inland Waterways challenges that brings together academia and industry to shape the future of sustainable navigation on European lakes and rivers.
Two Challenges, One Vision
EXHIBITION · September 2026
Energy Poetics - Lake Como Design Festival · 18 - 20.09.2026
UAL: Central Saint Martins' MA Design for Industry 5.0 (MADI5.0) exhibit at the historic headquarters of Cantiere Ernesto Riva In Laglio., where students of the MADI5.0 curriculum explore the concept of "Navigation 5.0" to envision the future of sustainable navigation on Lake Como and new energy usages.
This event is the result of a collaboration between Volta27 and UAL:CSM to support the design of a successful large scale challenge in 2027.
Volta27 express its gratitude to UAL:CSM and the MADI 5.0 staff in particular for their enthusiastic support and generous advices.
We also thank the Cantiere Ernesto Riva, the Fondazione Alessandro Volta and the Lake Como Design Festival for helping us in setting up this first "trial" exhibition together as a first step to the 2027 Challenge.
In collaboration with a local consortium of partners eager to promote the future of sustainable yachting and contribute to the Alessandro Volta Celebrations, we are supporting the set-up of a navigation engineering challenge under the form of an energy boat race.
We envisage various tracks such as autonomy, performance and manoeuvrability. We hope to be able to announce the competition by October 2026.
ENGINEERING CHALLENGE · 2027
Navigating a greener tomorrow - Exhibition at the Lake Como Design Festival - Septembre 2027
The Design Challenge is supporting the celebration of the bicentenary of Alessandro Volta's passing in 2027 and celebrate its legacy by exploring the use of Design for innovating low energy navigation and supporting services for inland waterways and the life on water. Industry 5.0 meets the waters in Navigation 5.0 to benefit local communities, boost the economy, and regrow the lake's biodiversity.
Two tracks are being open, covering vessels design and services design, with a number of prizes and organisational support to encourage collaboration, knowledge and cultural exchanges.
The design challenge is open to design and engineering academia, students, alone or in teams, and research institutes. With an exploratory briefing, It is conceived to fit the curriculum requirement of a wide range of Products and Service Design Master degrees and the academic calendar 2026-2027. Briefing materials and potential in-person or online presence will be available to participating universities to facilitate and harmonise the briefing and fits the needs of the institution. We expect that often, field work will be developed on inland waterways closer to the participating universities, but briefing materials and desk research should enable the students to be sensitive to and show how their proposals are relevant to and could be adapted if needed to the specificities of lake Como.
The projects will be exhibited mid Septembre at the Lake Como Design Festival 2027 (LCDF 11.09 - 19.09.2027), which will provide high exposure to visitors, the national and international press in addition to online media.
Joining is free; Universities needs to be able to support their full participation and commit to participate with their own selection of 3 to 6 projects to the exhibition.
Volta27, a non profit, is actively fundraising, with the objective to offer support to maximise students participation at the LCDF.
DESIGN CHALLENGE Sept 2026 - Sept 2027
CONFIRMED DESIGN UNIVERSITIES (MORE UNDER DISCUSSIONS)
Celebrating Alessandro Volta
Alessandro Volta (Como 18.02.1745– 05.03.1827), the Italian pioneer of electricity and native of Como, invented the electric battery and revolutionised humanity's relationship with energy, the engine of modern civilisation.
He also discovered the methane gas, and was an active promoter of science with a very active network of correspondents across Europe.
In 2027, the 200th anniversary of his death will be celebrated in Como and across Italy through the multidisciplinary 200VOLTeVOLTA programme
"You must be ready to give up even the most attractive ideas when experiment shows them to be wrong."
— A. VOLTA
Leveraging the learnings and momentum of the 2027 milestones, we aim to support the potential set-up of a European Innovation initiative for sustainable inland waterways.
Anchored in the extraordinary landscape of Lake Como, inspired by Italy's craftsmanship heritage and the principles of Industry 5.0, this initiative in 2028 and beyond, would seek to bridge academia and industries across Europe, through collaborative Design, Engineering, and Business Modeling to "implement the future of Navigation for inland waterways"to the benefits of society and the planet.
Pursuing Volta's Legacy:
An European Navigation Innovation Initiative for Inland Waterways
Coming Up
18 - 20.09.2026
Pilot project with UAL / Central Saint Martins MADI5 Students exhibition at Lake Como Design Festival (12 - 20 September 2026)
05.03.2027
Anniversary of the death of Alessandro Volta
April.2027
Engineering Challenge, Electric Boat competition (tbc)
Lake Como Design Festival 2027 Design Challenge results & exhibition
11 - 19.09.2027
Let's Build Together
As we actively develop our challenges in support of the Volta Celebrations and our longer term ambition, we are eager to engage with partners, sponsors, and academic institutions who are passionate about navigation innovation and lake sustainability in Europe.
We would love to hear your thoughts or provide more details on our current development, and should you need to link to us or use the Volta27 logo — please don't hesitate to get in touch.