The Third Annual International Student Design Competition will focus on designing a Roll-on/Roll-off passenger ferry for Indonesia. Student teams can register between August 15 and September 15 to receive the terms of reference for designing a ferry to improve interisland connectivity and safety in Indonesia, where over 2,000 people have died in 37 ferry accidents between 2000 and 2015. The top prize is $5,000 and previous winners have been recognized at international conferences and in the media.

1. Notice
Third Annual
International Student Design Competition
For Safe Affordable Ferries
A project of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association
For the past two years, awards have been made to student teams of $10,000
annually, with the top prize each year being $5000. An impressive roster of
internationally recognized maritime professionals have served as judges. Awardees
have been recognized at international maritime conferences and through
widespread media reports. The competitions for 2013 and 2014, respectively, were
to design a passenger ferry for the Bangladesh river system and for an interisland
RoPax for Papua New Guinea. For 2015, the competition, with more streamlined
requirements than the past, will be to design a RoPax for Indonesia.
Indonesia is the fourth largest nation in the world in terms of population.
Composed of 6000 inhabited islands, the archipelago spreads across over 3000
miles from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean near Australia. With a strong
seafaring tradition, Indonesia has embarked on a policy to enhance its maritime
strength.1 One stated goal of this policy is to improve interisland connectivity
through ferry transport.
However, ferry transport between islands lacks an adequate level of safety.
Between 2000 and 2015, 37 accidents have occurred in Indonesia, leaving 2,286
people dead or missing.2 Of great value for safety is that the country’s National
Transportation Safety Committee has performed in-depth casualty investigations
and identified major factors. The analysis by Aleik Nurwahyudy of casualties
between 2003 and 2013 has identified significant patterns, which highlighted the
issue of fires on RoPax.3 This issue is globally important given recent incidents.4
The 2015 Design Competition for a Safe Affordable Ferry will be focused on an
Indonesian interisland RoPax. Student teams who register between August 15 and
September 15 will be provided with the Terms of Reference. Collaboration among
academic institutions is encouraged. Pre-registration before that date is welcome.
Entries will be due on March 1. For questions kindly contact Dr. Roberta Weisbrod,
executive director of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association, at
ferrysafety@gmail.com. Please register through
www.ferrysafetydesigncompetition.org.
1 “Indonesia as a Maritime Power” by V. Shekher & J. Liow Brookings (Nov.2014)
http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2014/11/indonesia-maritime-liow-shekhar
2 www.ferrysafety.orgReports,Johan Roos, Abigail Golden
3 Identification of safety issues in domestic ferry operations based on accident investigation
reports on ferries involved accidents in Indonesian waters, 2003 – 2013, By Aleik
Nurwahyudy,(2014). See www.ferrysafety.org Reports.
4http://www.bairdmaritime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16670:
imo-fails-on-passenger-vessel-safety&catid=103:magazine-
editorials&Itemid=124; http://www.interferry.com/the-weakest-link/