To encourage development of virtuous marinas that will welcome tomorrow’s yachts
Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina – Monday 20th September 2021
The first Monaco Smart Yachting & Marina rendezvous will be held at the Yacht Club de Monaco on Monday 20th September 2021 before the Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health (23rd September).
The day of talks and meetings is being organised by Monaco Marina Management, as part of development of sustainable marina projects that the Monegasque company assists, with the support of Blumorpho, a deep tech with positive impact digital innovation for corporate accelerator.
In line with actions already taken by the Principality to position itself as a yachting capital, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Monaco Government’s digital transformation programme, Extended Monaco, were also keen to support this unprecedented meeting alongside Credit Suisse, which is establishing itself as the bank for yachting and Bombardier, SBM Offshore, Teledyne and NGE Connect.
The aim is to present new innovative solutions that help protect the environment, the ultimate goal being to design more virtuous marinas. New technologies, including digital make it easier than ever before to achieve the energy transition through better more efficient use of resources, adoption of renewable energy sources, and protection of the seas and oceans employing customised sustainable business models.
“Smart yachting is an avenue for the future of Monaco. It is a component full of potential for the transformation of our economy and attractiveness”, says Frédéric Genta, the interministerial delegate in charge of Monaco’s digital transition.
Schneider Electric, IBM, NGE Connect, Teledyne, Pingat, Enel X… are just some of the industry leaders attending this meeting of innovators, such as those supported by the European Commission-funded Smart Anything Everywhere initiative, but also investors such as the European Investment Fund, Eurazeo and Blue Pelican Capital, and marina promoters from all over the world including Bahamas (Abaco Project), China (Visun Group) and Saudi Arabia. Together they will share experiences and discuss development of environmentally responsible, efficient, attractive and user-friendly marinas that are also lively places where people want to be.
Innovation takes centre stage
Supporting the day’s round tables to promote these innovative solutions is an E-catalogue, available in August on the official website (https://smartyachtingmarina.com) and widely distributed to key players in this ecosystem. It will list and present 50 start-ups selected by experts at Blumorpho.
From this catalogue, a jury will short-list 15 companies to pitch their project to the Grand Jury in the hope of winning one of the awards that will be presented on 20th September. The Grand Jury will comprise representatives from companies that are a reference in their field, including Credit Suisse, Bombardier, SBM Offshore, Veolia, Bouygues Construction, Colas, Bosch, Suez, Lafarge Holcim, PureTerra Ventures, BtoV, Circularity Capital, SNGLR and SMEG.
Winners have the privilege of presenting their project during Monaco Ocean Week in March 2022, organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
“We are pleased to promote during the next Monaco Ocean Week innovations brought to the table by the winning startups. The major issues relating to marine environment conservation have now been clearly identified. Supporting research and development of new sustainable solutions for a more virtuous yachting sector is all the more essential if we are to continue enjoying the pleasures of the sea, while responding in the right way to the challenges of its preservation,” says Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
From connected yacht to smart marina: a global vision of tomorrow’s ecosystem
“We have been working on the virtuous marina concept for several years now. It is the deep conviction of all our employees that has enabled us to develop an expertise in this field, particularly regards water management. As living spaces, Smart Marinas that respect the environment must encourage emergence of new activities and services like Smart Cities do from which they take inspiration,” explains José Marco Casellini, CEO of Monaco Marina Management.
As a platform for communication on any project aimed at improving recreational boating’s sustainability, Yacht Club de Monaco was quick to embrace this initiative. The meeting is in effect an extension of the SEA Index, a benchmark the Yacht Club de Monaco launched in partnership with Credit Suisse to assess CO2 emissions of +40m superyachts, and its Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (cf the 8th edition last week) which puts the spotlight on optimising energy use and clean propulsion.
“As the growth in yachts known as Explorers has shown, many owners are very concerned about the future of yachting. This trend can only become a reality if the facilities to welcome them are adapted to this energy and ecological transition. Our goal is to test these innovative solutions in our YCM Marina, as one would in a laboratory, explains Bernard d’Alessandri, YCM General Secretary and Cluster Yachting Monaco President, adding that Yacht Club de Monaco launched its own La Belle Classe Destinations certification ten years ago. This label defines a standard of excellence in terms of quality of facilities, services and safety for superyacht marinas that are being developed or renovated worldwide.
Through Monaco Smart Yachting & Marina, which brings together all players in its ecosystem, the Principality is perpetuating a tradition as a land of innovation that is promoting connected environmentally responsible yachting.
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME >> https://smartyachtingmarina.com/program/
