The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, the organization international professional founded in London in 1860 which represents naval architects and engineers and professionals in the from all over the world, in collaboration with the Italian shipowning group d'Amico, awarded the RINA-d'Amico Student Naval Architect Award. The award, now in its eighteenth edition and awarded with a ceremony at Villa Cambiaso in Genoa, is awarded to Enrico Sakaj, a recent graduate in Naval Engineering at the University of Genoa. The "Student Naval Architect Award" is presented by the RINA in over 30 universities around the world, including the historic University of Genoa chosen for its consolidated tradition in the training of naval engineers and the close link with the maritime sector.

Enrico Sakaj was awarded for his thesis entitled "Development of a Load-Bearing Surface Model Integrated with Parametric Optimization for the Verification and Design of Naval Propellers", created under the supervision of Professor Diego Villa. The work develops a numerical surface model for the estimation of the main propulsive performance of a naval propeller, integrated with an optimization procedure aimed at identifying the most suitable configurations specific design requirements, including maximizing of propulsive efficiency in compliance with design constraints.

The tool developed as part of the thesis was in fact, it was also used for the design of the Elettra propeller, the unit with which the students of the University of Genoa participated in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2026, ranking second. Sakaj held the role of team manager, coordinating a group of four students and following the propulsion design of the boat, from the sizing of the blades and from cavitation analysis to 3D modeling, CFD analysis and propeller-engine matching electric.