WITH a trophy cabinet already bulging with awards Incat founder and chairman Robert Clifford has racked up another honour, being named Sustainability Champion at the 2025 Tasmanian Regional Development Champions Awards.
In a LinkedIn post Incat said the honour “recognises Robert’s leadership and vision in guiding Tasmania’s transition to sustainable maritime transport, and his pivotal role in establishing Incat as the global leader in large-scale electric shipbuilding.
“Under Robert’s direction, Incat has transformed from a pioneer of lightweight aluminium vessels into a company driving the world’s most advanced program of battery-electric and hybrid-electric ships – built right here in Hobart and exported to the world,” the company said.
It's been big year for Incat, which is close to completing China Zorrilla, the world’s largest battery-electric vessel for delivery to South America’s Buquebus for service on the River Plate between Uruguay and Argentina, and is building a 78-metre next-generation hybrid ferry, with multiple propulsion options – engineered to give operators a clear pathway to sustainable service without compromising on performance.
In July Incat signed to build two new state-of-the-art battery-electric 129-metre ferries for leading Danish ferry operator Molslinjen. operate on the busy Kattegat route between Jutland and Zealand, forming part of the world’s largest electrification project at sea. Construction is well underway.
In March Incat was named as one of Australia’s Best Managed Companies for the second year in a row, and a month ago Incat won the Sustainability and Green Economy Award at the 2025 Tasmanian Export Awards.