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On the boat Düsseldorf In 2026, three specialists from research and industry have now agreed on a groundbreaking cooperation.
Because the Development Centre for Ship Technology and Transport Systems (DST), the Capricorn Group and German Slider GmbH want to jointly shape the future of maritime mobility.
Robertino Wild (CEO & Owner Capricorn Group), Wolfgang Rögner (CEO German Slider) and Dr. Frederic Kracht (Head of Autonomous Driving, DST) met today in Düsseldorf.
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Partnership for Wing-in-Ground Technology
The collaboration combines maritime research expertise with state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. DST contributes its expertise as a leading European research institute for inland and coastal navigation.
The Capricorn Group contributes decades of experience in carbon fiber manufacturing – from Formula 1 racing to aviation and the production of the Capricorn 01 Zagato hypercar.
German Slider GmbH from Frankfurt am Main continues the ground effect vehicle technology developed by Günther W. Jörg.
Research project within the maritime program
The partners are preparing a funding application for the Maritime Research Programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The focus will be on autonomous control systems, electric and hydrogen-based propulsion systems, as well as safety and regulatory issues.
Ground effect vehicles consume only 15 to 20 percent of the energy of conventional watercraft, as they operate with virtually no water or rolling resistance.
The technology works not only on water, but also on ice, mudflats, low water areas, dry riverbeds, swamps, sandy deserts and over safety-critical waters.
Alternative to short-haul flights
The range of possible applications extends from passenger and ferry services to medical transport in hard-to-reach regions such as the Amazon area, and search and rescue operations.
Other areas of application include low-noise whale watching, time-critical courier services in island traffic, and wave-friendly transport to offshore wind farms without seasickness.
The project partners are also examining the substitution of short-haul flights between coastal cities. Connections such as Düsseldorf to London could be served by ground-effect vehicles in an ecologically and economically sound manner.
Boot Düsseldorf 2026
The cooperation is intended to make a substantial contribution to sustainable, resilient and future-proof maritime mobility.
The combination of research expertise, innovative drive technology and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes creates a promising basis for application-oriented demonstration projects.
The Boot Düsseldorf boat show runs until January 25, 2026 and showcases modern innovations as well as timeless classics that attract boat enthusiasts from all over the world.
Sierks Media / © Photos: Udo Stern & Symbolic images, generated with Grok by xAI
