Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina | Monday 20^th September 2021

Monaco 17^th September 2021 – The second selection phase has just been completed ahead of the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina rendezvous, organised Monday 20^th September by Monegasque company M3 (Monaco Marina Management), a highlight of this day of round tables being the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards at 5.00pm.

From the hundred-plus applications made, only 55 companies from 30 countries were shortlisted to appear in the event’s E-Catalogue released in August and which showcases projects brimming with inspiring innovations.

• To consult the E-Catalogue: sustainablesmartmarina.com/ecatalogue

Since then, all have submitted to the Grand Oral interviews conducted by a jury of experts comprising 32 industrialists, investors and representatives of companies who are a reference in their field. The aim of these exchanges was to highlight solutions and innovations to aid development of smart virtuous marinas to address environmental issues.

Led by Credit Suisse, Bombardier, SBM Offshore, Veolia, Bouygues Construction, Colas, Bosch, Suez, Holcim, PureTerra Ventures, BtoV, Circularity Capital, SNGLR, SMEG, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Yacht Club de Monaco and NGE Connect, 160 online meetings were arranged over the last three weeks by experts at Blumorpho.

• To see who was on the Jury: https://sustainablesmartmarina.com/the-jury/

Supporting this initiative are the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Government’s digital transformation programme, Extended Monaco, alongside Credit Suisse, establishing itself as the bank for yachting, Bombardier, SBM Offshore, Teledyne, Xerjoff, NGE Connect and Yacht Club de Monaco which is hosting this first rendezvous.

Consensus Meeting: a very involved international Jury

At the Consensus Meeting held online on Thursday 16^th September, conclusions from the Jury’s deliberations resulted in the short-list being further honed down to 15 startups.

It took nearly two hours of debate to decide on the quality and relevance of projects presented by the 55 startups, as each jury member defended their vision of the ranking to their peers. Equipment, health, energy optimisation, waste treatment, biodiversity and security are the categories in which the 15 startups selected stood out.

“The Consensus Meeting reflected the level of commitment shown by industrial companies and investors who accepted our invitation to be on the Jury for this edition. As a result of these quality exchanges a consensus on analysis of what differentiated the candidates and the value of their proposals led to 15 companies being selected,” explains Géraldine A. Gustin, CEO of Blumorpho, a company specialising in innovation, “It was a difficult choice”.

“We would all like to live in a marina. I even think it will probably be the next big destination in terms of living spaces, but also for businesses, industry, logistics and tomorrow’s tourism,” says Julien Bourcerie, Head of Open-innovation & Corporate Venture at Bouygues Construction. “However, marinas must be able to provide solutions to societal challenges, namely the battle against pollution, the effects of climate change, protecting biodiversity, the increasing global population and rising sea levels. All provide fertile ground for great innovations from startups who want to have an impact,”

Reconciling economic and environmental performance, some companies on the short list have particularly strong potential to change the dynamic. For example the autonomous, 100% biological, mini water treatment plant that can be deployed when conventional solutions are not practical (AquaTech Innovation); the 3D printing system that automatically produces reinforced concrete structures from recycled materials (Hyperion Robotics); the system to digitise human senses to reveal the ambient conditions of an environment (Rubix); and energy optimisation with hydrogen-based solutions (EODev).

The 15 startups selected are: AquaTech Innovation, Biostart, CompPair Technologies, Dracula Technologies, EODEV, Falco, FGWRS, Greencity Organisation, H2X-Ecosystems, HOPU, Hyperion Robotics, Nauticspot, Rubix S&I, Seafloatech and Terroiko.
Four are in the Equipment category, three in Energy Optimisation, three in Biodiversity, two in Waste Treatment, one in Health, one in Security and one in Water Optimisation.
“It was a very interesting experience during which excellent solutions were presented. The exchanges with the other startups was also very productive. The standard of startups presented was down to a good selection being made beforehand. I am really delighted to have been a member on this Jury,” says Miguel Angel Sanz, Director of Strategic Development at SUEZ International.

Putting words into action

Innovation is the key to protecting the environment, and all participants at the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina rendezvous are mobilised to promote sustainable development in yachting by involving the whole ecosystem associated with it: owners, shipyards, marina developers, industrialists and investors.  

Throughout the day on Monday 20^th September 30-plus speakers will be addressing six round tables, the ultimate goal being to discuss their vision of the marina of the future and solutions required to preserve precious resources and contribute to carbon neutrality and building sustainable infrastructures for marina eco-systems.

At 5.00pm, Monaco Marina Management CEO José Marco Casellini, surrounded by partners and institutions, will present the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards that recognise the three best companies. More than a prize, it comes with an opportunity to raise their profile even higher at Monaco Ocean Week when the winners present their projects.

• Provisional programme: https://sustainablesmartmarina.com/programme/
• Video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs9dapyB3Uo

 Contact: Monaco Marina Management – Email: smartyachting@monacomarinamanagement.org – www.sustainablesmartmarina.com