ECOcube – double winner of ECO Excellence Awards at the Biograd Boat Show

As part of the 28th Biograd Boat Show, the ECO Excellence 2026 awards were presented. For the fourth consecutive year, the show has used these awards to highlight products, services, and initiatives that contribute to the protection of the sea and the marine environment.

The company Marservis d.o.o. won awards for "Innovation of the Year" and "Best Domestic Product or Service" for its floating waste collection station, ECOcube. The "Best Volunteer Eco-Initiative" award went to the traditional customs association "Krapansko idro" for their underwater cleanup campaign, "Operation Sponge" (Operacija Spužva).

The awards ceremony was opened by Milan Šangulin, Director of the Biograd Boat Show, who welcomed the nominees and thanked the expert jury. He noted that while the Biograd Boat Show initiated the ECO Excellence awards, the organizers have never been involved in the selection of the winners.

"We wanted the program to be independently managed by an expert jury—people who channel their passion into ecology. The fact that the hall is full shows that they have succeeded," said Šangulin.

This year’s 13 nominations were evaluated by a jury comprising representatives from Adria Libar, Burza nautike, Green Sail, the Institute for Tourism, and EmergenSea.

"The nautical industry is growing, and the pressure on the marine environment is becoming increasingly apparent. Through this award, we want to demonstrate that caring for the environment is not a hindrance to development, but rather a new direction," said Ornela Krezić, Project Manager at Green Sail.

The awards are presented across three categories.

● the best domestic product or service is intended for Croatian exhibitors with ecologically sustainable products and services.

● innovation of the year is open to Croatian and foreign exhibitors with innovative solutions for sustainable nautical.

● the best volunteer eco-action rewards initiatives that stand out through volunteer work in the protection of the Adriatic Sea and coast, education and promotion of sustainability.

Waste Station Conceived on a Train in Copenhagen

ECOcube is a floating, autonomous, solar-powered station that allows boaters to empty their black-water tanks, dispose of sorted waste, and refill their water tanks with desalinated water—all via a self-service system accessed through a QR code.

The pontoon is constructed from a biocomposite made of natural fibers and bio-resin, and boaters can locate it using the AIS (Automatic Identification System). The station was developed and manufactured in Istria and has already achieved sensational success at the METSTRADE trade show.

"Thank you very much for the awards; you’ve taken me by surprise. We were in excellent company, and I am certain that the other nominees also presented products with great potential," said Luciano Beg, founder and director of Marservis.

Beg also revealed that the idea for ECOcube originated while he was traveling. "The concept was born on a train between the airport and the center of Copenhagen. We hope that Croatia, too, will recognize our product and begin installing such stations along the Adriatic coast," he stated.

1,150 Kilograms of Waste Removed from the Seabed off Krapanj

"Operation Sponge" (Operacija Spužva) took place on the island of Krapanj, organized by the "Krapansko idro" Association in coordination with the Mediterraneo Sub Diving Center.

Around twenty divers, along with an equal number of volunteers on land and aboard support vessels, cleaned up the seabed in the port of Krapanj. A total of 1,150 kilograms of waste was recovered, and all of it was disposed of with the assistance of local utility companies. On behalf of the association, the award was accepted by Milenko Španja, who expressed his gratitude that the efforts of the Krapanj volunteers had been recognized.

The sponsors of the ECO Excellence awards are Ilirija d.d., the nautical advertising and information portal and magazine *Burza nautike*, and Marnaut watches—a brand whose designs are inspired by the Croatian coast and the underwater world.