• 4 min de lectura
• 4 min de lectura
Brasília, 10/06/2026 – With the theme "Artificial Intelligence in the Sustainable Future of Waterway Transportation," the National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ) published, this Tuesday (6), the call for entries for the ANTAQ Award 2026. This will be a special edition and will be part of the commemorative program for the Agency's 25th anniversary, celebrated on February 18, 2027.
Registrations for the "Technical-Scientific Article," "Gender and Diversity," and "Innovative Initiatives" categories are now open and will continue until November 6. The call for entries gathers the rules and all necessary information to compete for the award.
The ANTAQ Award recognizes initiatives that stand out for their contribution to improving the provision of waterway transportation services to society, fosters technical-scientific research and production, and disseminates good ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and innovation practices in the sector's operation and management.
In this edition, the award includes five categories: Environmental Performance – IDA, Waterway Connection, Technical-Scientific Article, Gender and Diversity, and Innovative Initiatives. The latter now has three thematic modalities: Sustainability, Port Operations, and Occupational Health and Safety.
To compete in the Technical-Scientific Article, Gender and Diversity, and Innovative Initiatives categories, interested parties must register by 11:59 PM on November 6, 2026 (Brasília time).
Participation is free, and registrations must be made exclusively online, according to the procedures established in the call for entries, using the form available at this link.
In the Environmental Performance – IDA and Waterway Connection categories, participation is automatic, with no need for registration.
In Waterway Connection, the top three inland navigation companies that served the highest number of Brazilian municipalities throughout 2025 will be awarded, based on official data from ANTAQ's Waterway Statistical Panel. Inland navigation companies transporting cargo and/or passengers that have operated regularly in Brazilian territory during the period are eligible to compete.
In the Environmental Performance – IDA category, port administrations responsible for Organized Ports and Private Use Terminals (TUPs) that achieve the best performance in the Environmental Performance Index, based on the 2025 evaluation cycle, will be awarded. The award will be divided into four modalities, considering the type of installation and annual cargo movement: Organized Ports with movement up to 5 million tons per year and above 5 million tons per year; and TUPs with movement up to 5 million tons per year and above 5 million tons per year.
In the Technical-Scientific Article category, papers must address the application of Artificial Intelligence to waterway transportation, in accordance with ANTAQ's areas of activity. In this category, the approach to AI is a requirement for participation, and the degree of adherence to the theme will also be considered in the evaluation.
The top three placed articles will also have their articles published in the subsequent edition of the Agency's scientific journal, Blue Research, observing the editorial rules and review procedures of the periodical.
In the Gender and Diversity category, initiatives aimed at gender equality, reducing inequalities, promoting diversity, and including minorities in the workplace and operations will be recognized. The actions must generate positive impacts and contribute to making the waterway sector more inclusive, fair, and representative.
For this category, the general theme "Artificial Intelligence in the Sustainable Future of Waterway Transportation" is guiding, not a requirement for participation or a scoring criterion.
One of the main novelties of the ANTAQ Award 2026 is in the Innovative Initiatives category, which now has three thematic modalities: Sustainability, Port Operations, and Occupational Health and Safety.
In Sustainability, initiatives related to the socio-environmental component, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and ESG criteria will be considered.
The Port Operations modality includes practical cases involving technological or procedural innovations, such as actions related to operational efficiency, berth scheduling, queue and access management, navigation safety, logistical integration, automation, and predictive analysis.
Occupational Health and Safety is aimed at initiatives related to physical and mental integrity, the evolution of safety culture, and occupational well-being.
Although Artificial Intelligence is the general theme of the ANTAQ Award 2026, its use is not mandatory to compete in the Innovative Initiatives category. Adherence to the general theme is part of the evaluation criteria for registered initiatives.
