The 4th Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous concluded today at Yacht Club de Monaco after two packed days of conferences, networking and presentations. Organised by Monaco Marina Management (M3), the event attracted 250-plus maritime industry professionals from all over the world who came to meet innovators. Their shared goal is to modernise and make maritime infrastructures more sustainable. The meeting demonstrated how sustainability can drive change. Twenty selected startups and scaleups, around ten architect firms and a dozen marinas attended. “Tomorrow’s yachting must be smart and sustainable. Maritime infrastructures have to adapt to new needs and this event puts the spotlight on those changes,” said José Marco Casellini, CEO of M3.
A meeting focused on the future of sustainable yachting
Supported by key partners including the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Extended Monaco, UBS, MB92 Group and Bombardier, this edition highlighted the importance of technological innovation and cross-sector partnerships to meet today’s environmental challenges. At the same time as the conference in the morning, innovation pitches were an opportunity to find out about innovative solutions from startups and scaleups that put sustainability at the heart of discussions. “We can see how sustainability and innovative technology are self-sustaining. Innovations are focused on creating a promising future for the planet,” said Bernard d’Alessandri, YCM General Secretary and President of Cluster Yachting Monaco. “The sustainability quest is urgent. As yachting enthusiasts, it is up to us to promote positive sustainable innovation efforts”.
Experts take the floor
Three conferences tackled sector-specific challenges and solutions, the first concentrating on the role of technologies in optimising unique experiences in a marina. Chaired by Captain Gino Battaglia, President of the Italian Yacht Masters association and event partner, this discussion saw interventions by experts like Captain Kelly J. Gordon who stressed the need for practical tools such as a smart berthing app. Maria Vera Vives, Head of Expansion and Sustainable Development at Alcudiamar Marina (Spain) presented initiatives such as smart terminals to measure energy consumption. Randy Durband, CEO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (South Korea) stressed the importance of data collection for effective sustainable management, while Stavros Katsikadis President of the Board, Greek Marinas Association & Managing Director of LAMDA Marinas Investments S.M.S.A. (Greece) discussed integration of traditional and digital methods for better resource management. While they highlighted efficiency and need to digitize operations, they also stressed the complementarity between the needs of captains and marina managers to improve sustainability.
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