Long-term partnership between TAAROA and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
TAAROA enters into a technology partnership with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) to develop the next generation of hydrofoils, and wins the Hydrocontest.

EPFL, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Located in Switzerland, EPFL is one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan science and technology institutions. While collaborating with an important network of partners (universities, industries as well as general public) EPFL is advancing with the aim of having a real impact on society.
At the end of 2018, we decided to partner with EPFL in order to build a solid partnership based on the hydrofoil’s research and development.

Hydrocontest - Incubating the boats of tomorrow

Since 2014, EPFL has been attending the Hydrocontest. The Hydrocontest is the first international competition devoted to nautical and maritime energy efficiency. It encourages innovation in imagining the boats of the future, as participants are invited to design and build boat prototypes that are as efficient as possible.

TAAROA at the Hydrocontest

We are proud to announce that we have collaborated with EPFL for the last edition of the Hydrocontest and won in the “light transportation” category that simulated a fast passenger boat with 20kg weight onboard.
Our team has worked really hard to develop the most efficient foil for the contest, taking into account all the constraints associated with the project. After hundreds of hours of R&D and simulations, we did finally reach a perfect design that went into production in our factory.

In order to build the hydrofoils for the Hydrocontest, we leveraged the same processes and materials as for our traditional foils.

Winning the Hydrocontest clearly demonstrates our expertise when it comes to designing and manufacturing efficient and innovative hydrofoils.

Next step: the Swiss Solar Boat project

This success is very important for EPFL and TAAROA as it reinforce our collaboration and accelerates the development of the Swiss Solar Boat concept, a boat on a foil over 6 metres long, operating exclusively with solar panels, ideally capable of reaching 30 knots at top speed. The boat will be managed by a pilot on board and represents the future of maritime mobility.

Our role in that project is the design and manufacturing of the foil, which guarantees the boat’s efficiency and performance.

More information about the Hydrocontest : https://www.epfl.ch/education/educational-initiatives/fr/discovery-learning-program/projets-interdisciplinaires/hydrocontest

More informations about the Swiss Solar Boat Project : https://actu.epfl.ch/news/european-students-to-race-futuristic-boat-design-2

Long-term partnership between TAAROA and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Alix Barbe 11 March, 2020
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