UK Government and International Maritime Leaders Back Clean Shipping Regatta in Portsmouth
Technology Providers, Shipowners, investors, regulators and port operators will race together at Port Solent, Portsmouth on 23 September 2026 in the Maritime Futures Clean Shipping Regatta
A one-day event backed by the UK Department for Transport and designed to move clean maritime technology out of demonstration and onto commercial fleets.
The UK has spent years funding clean maritime innovation through programmes such as the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) and Innovate UK, supporting startups, ports, universities and industry partners to develop and demonstrate new technologies.
The Maritime Futures Clean Shipping Regatta, is designed as the next commercial step: bringing these publicly funded technologies directly in front of the shipowners, ports, investors, classification bodies, corporates and policymakers who can help move them from demonstration to real-world deployment.
The programme is supported by the UK Department for Transport, Innovate UK, Kezad group part of Abu Dhabi Ports, alongside Maritime Solent, ZESTAs, the University of Bath, the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, UK-Gulf Connect and MaltAccelerate.
Organisations already participating in or engaging with the programme include GT Wings, Carisbrooke Shipping, Polaris Autoliners, Swell Group, Vivid Adapt, Ft Technologies, Page White Farrer, Blue Wasp Marine, 426 Maritime and a growing number of CMDC-backed technologies and maritime businesses.
Maritime Futures brings those technologies and partners together with shipowners and operators who can adopt them, investors who can fund them, classification and assurance bodies who can support approval, and policymakers who can help create the conditions for wider deployment.
KEZAD Group, part of AD Ports Group, supporting the Maritime Futures as the UAE Deployment Partner, by creating a pathway for clean maritime technologies and companies showcased through Maritime Futures to explore deployment, market entry and growth opportunities in the UAE.
Through this partnership, Maritime Futures strengthens the connection between UK maritime innovation and the UAE’s industrial, logistics and trade ecosystem, helping companies explore practical routes to scale, establish regional partnerships and expand into the Middle East.
GT Wings joins as Showcase Technology Partner, presenting its AirWing™ Jet Sail wind-assisted propulsion technology. As previous CMDC winners,GT Wings is among the first CMDC-supported innovators confirmed to participate in the Regatta, with two racing yachts, bringing together key industry stakeholders including Polaris Autoliners and Carisbrooke Shipping as part of its participation in the Regatta.
Their participation represents the progression Maritime Futures is designed to support: moving publicly backed innovation beyond demonstration and towards commercial adoption.
Programme
Part 1 – Day: Breakfast and curated networking, Clean Shipping Regatta, sailing with eight participants per yacht, and lunch and networking on the water.
Part 2 – Evening: Maritime Futures Awards & Gala Dinner, featuring keynote speakers, technology pitches, awards, dinner and further industry networking.Delegate registration and applications for the Innovation Yachts programme are open at www.maritimefutures.world.
Partner Statements
“Shipping is the backbone of our economy – that’s why we’re investing £448 million to deliver the clean fuels and technologies of the future, creating skilled jobs in our coastal communities, cutting emissions and boosting local economies.”
“Innovate UK is committed to delivering the government funded UKSHORE programme, supporting companies right across the UK to create economic growth and drive decarbonisation of the maritime sector”
“Decarbonising shipping requires more than great technology; it requires the right people, partnerships and ambition to turn innovation into real-world impact. Maritime Futures creates an exciting platform to bring those elements together, connecting technology providers with the shipowners, investors and industry leaders who can accelerate adoption.
At GT Wings, we are proud to be part of a growing clean maritime ecosystem that is not only developing the solutions shipping needs, but working together to get them deployed at scale.”
“The UK has built a strong foundation in clean maritime innovation, and the next step is accelerating the move from demonstration to commercial deployment. Through Maritime Futures, Kantar Advisory Partners is bringing together the shipowners, ports, investors, technology providers and international partners needed to turn innovation into commercial opportunity and support its deployment at scale.”
About the Maritime Futures Clean Shipping Regatta
The Maritime Futures Clean Shipping Regatta is an international clean shipping showcase taking place on 23 September 2026, focused on accelerating the commercial deployment of clean maritime technologies.
Supported by the UK Department for Transport and co-organised by Kantar Advisory Partners, the event connects senior maritime decision-makers through sailing, technology showcases, curated networking and an Awards Gala.
Date: 23 September 2026 | Venue: Port Solent, Portsmouth, United Kingdom | Website: www.maritimefutures.world | Media contact: alyssa.doueihy@kantaradvisory.com
About Kantar Advisory Partners
Kantar Advisory Partners supports governments, economic zones, investors, and innovative companies in market entry, deployment, and scale-up across the UK, Middle East, and Africa, with a focus on energy transition, advanced industrial sectors, and climate technology deployment.
About the UK Department for Transport
The Department for Transport works with our agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps the UK’s businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest in transport infrastructure to keep the UK on the move.
About KEZAD Group
KEZAD Group, part of AD Ports Group, operates one of the region’s largest integrated trade, logistics and industrial ecosystems. Its economic zones in Abu Dhabi provide manufacturers, logistics companies and industrial businesses with access to scalable infrastructure, multimodal connectivity, Khalifa Port, and regional and international markets.
As part of AD Ports Group’s wider global trade and logistics network, KEZAD Group plays a key role in supporting industrial development, international investment and business expansion in Abu Dhabi.
Through its participation in Maritime Futures, KEZAD Group and AD Ports Group are supporting stronger UK–UAE collaboration around maritime innovation and creating pathways for technologies and businesses showcased in the UK to explore deployment, industrialisation and expansion opportunities in Abu Dhabi and the wider Gulf region.
About GT Wings
GT Wings is redefining the future of commercial shipping with its cutting-edge wind propulsion technology, the AirWing™ Jet Sail. Designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions, AirWing™ can be retrofitted to existing vessels or installed on newbuilds, delivering maximum fuel savings with minimal operational impact.
Delivering a proven class of wind propulsion technology to accelerate the decarbonisation of global shipping, AirWing™ is the world’s first commercially available Jet Sail. Already deployed at sea, it is designed to make wind-assisted propulsion practical, scalable and commercially compelling for modern fleets.
