The Messina Energy Boat (MEB) is a multidisciplinary team that designs and develops high-performance electric boats, promoting innovation, sustainability and hands-on engineering skills. It brings together students, PhD candidates and faculty from the Department of Engineering at the University of Messina in a continuous cycle of research, design, prototyping and testing in the Strait of Messina. The team is structured into four units, covering design and propulsion, logistics and operations, data analysis and electronics, and communication and marketing. Valuing teamwork and industry partnerships, MEB integrates advanced materials and technologies and focuses on the experimental validation of its solutions, with one clear goal: to turn ideas into efficient, reliable and competitive boats.
The new MEB prototype, Guglielmino 3.0, is designed to significantly boost the boat’s performance across every key area. The project focuses on more sustainable, lighter materials that reduce weight without compromising strength, lowering the energy needed to reach and hold speed. It introduces a smart boat with integrated data telemetry that turns each run into actionable insight, letting the team monitor energy use, motor behaviour and handling in real time and feed those findings straight back into development. Handling itself is sharpened by an in-house designed and built steering system that delivers precise, reliable control, while an optimised propeller and motor pairing improves propulsion efficiency and makes the most of every watt on board.
The team’s strategy deliberately pairs design and construction with a structured programme of continuous sea trials in the Strait of Messina, using real-world conditions to validate every solution before the Challenge rather than relying on theory alone. In doing so, MEB pursues a dual goal: showcasing its territory and raising awareness of both the competition and the project, while progressively improving performance through rapid cycles of testing, analysis and upgrades that bring the boat closer to its full potential with each iteration.
