Cardboard, Collaboration and Careers: University of Southampton at Seawork 2025

The University of Southampton’s marine and maritime community made a splash at Seawork 2025 (10–12 June), showcasing a mix of research, education and consultancy opportunities—and taking home wins in engineering innovation and cardboard boat racing.

Seawork, Europe’s largest commercial marine and workboat exhibition, was once again held on the city’s waterfront at Mayflower Park. This year’s event saw teams from Maritime Engineering , the Wolfson Unit , the Marine Technology Education Consortium (MTEC) and the Centre for Green Maritime Innovation (cGMI) representing the University of Southampton at our stand in the Training & Careers Pavilion, coordinated by the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI). Across the three days, the team engaged industry partners, prospective students, alumni and curious passersby, sharing about their offerings and expertise.

Cardboard Boat Regatta

The undisputed highlight for team UoS came late Wednesday afternoon, when the Wolfson Unit’s Magnus Gregory took to the water in the Seawork Cardboard Boat Race. His vessel—narrow, fast, and festooned with a shark mouth and seaweed details—was “equal parts sturdy cardboard and hydrodynamic weapon.”

“We could have run CFD simulations and done tank testing,” Magnus joked, “but opted instead for three rolls of duct tape, a dream, and some core stability exercises.” The resulting boat not only remained afloat but surged past the competition. “At some point during my suspiciously dry and stable run,” he reported, “the race commentator exclaimed, ‘No one likes a show-off!’—which, frankly, is the highest honour a cardboard boat skipper can receive.”

Spectators—including a lively group of University of Southampton alumni fresh from the Maritime Engineering drinks reception—cheered Magnus on as he crossed the finish line.

Alumni Event

Prior to the Cardboard Boat Regatta, the Maritime Engineering (Ship Science) group hosted a well-attended alumni networking event. Former students from across the years now working in the industry gathered to reconnect and explore new opportunities for collaboration. “It was fantastic to catch up with ‘shippies’ old and new,” one attendee noted, “and to see where the next generation is heading.”

The alumni drinks reception at Seawork is becoming an annual fixture. Keep your eyes peeled for updates on next year’s dates.

Seawork Careers Day

Thursday’s Careers Day saw an enthusiastic turnout from scholars and prospective students. The University’s stand featured the popular Winds of Change interactive wind tunnel, a centrepiece for sharing research on renewable energy and decarbonisation in the maritime sector. Visitors could experiment trimming the wing sails on a model of the Pacific Grebe , while learning about the potential of retrofittable wind-assist technology. The project—led by Smart Green Shipping, with the University of Southampton as a key research partner—is exploring and validating how wing sails could reduce emissions across the commercial fleet. Watch the new Winds of Change video to learn more.

Future Seawork Awards

Another highlight from Seawork was the announcement that Ship Science student Robin Stein had won first prize at the Future Seawork Awards, which recognises emerging talent in the commercial marine sector. His prize-winning project, The Assessment of a Reconfigurable Mould Tool for the Production of Foils explores how sustainable, adaptable composite tooling could reduce waste and costs in marine manufacturing. Supervised by Dr James Blake , Robin’s work was praised by judges for its “clear potential to impact future design processes in the commercial marine industry.”

From hands-on outreach and award-winning research to strengthening alumni ties, the University’s presence at Seawork 2025 reflected the breadth and depth of its marine and maritime activity.

The University of Southampton looks forward to continuing to shape the future of commercial marine through research, education and partnership.

Explore the projects and people behind our Seawork 2025 showcase:

• Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and Industrial Aerodynamics
• Maritime Engineering at Southampton
• MTEC – Marine Technology Education Consortium
• Centre for Green Maritime Innovation (cGMI)
• Winds of Change Project