Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Monday 20^th September 2021

Monaco 2^nd September 2021 – Specialised in sustainable marina development projects, Monegasque company Monaco Marina Management is organising the first Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina rendezvous 20^th September, the aim being to bring together all those in the marina ecosystem and put the spotlight on sustainable solutions based on the latest technologies: innovation at the service of sustainability.After launch of an E-Catalogue referencing them, 55 international startups are in the process of submitting their solutions in a Grand Oral to a Jury comprising 31 industrialists, investors and representatives of companies in their field.

A Consensus Meeting on 16^th September will shortlist 15 of the most promising companies contributing to smart virtuous marinas. These companies will be highlighted and the winners of three awards announced on 20^th September at the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina event, a day of round tables and meetings.

The unique format has attracted support from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Government’s digital transformation programme, Extended Monaco, alongside Credit Suisse, which is establishing itself as the bank for yachting, Bombardier, SBM Offshore, Teledyne, Xerjoff, NGE Connect and the Yacht Club de Monaco which is hosting the rendezvous. 

Grand Oral: startups and industrialists kick-off discussions

It is back to work after the summer for the 55 startups selected from the 100-plus who applied through Blumorpho’s international network and are referenced in the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina’s E-Catalogue, some of which have qualified for funding from the European Commission’s Smart Anything Everywhere initiative.

“Marinas are like condensed micro-cities offering a variety of services and multiple constraints, be they related to energy, environmental, or space and resources management. These characteristics make marinas an ecosystem that can pave the way to urban development that is more respectful of the environment, in line with and in harmony with the sea. Innovative solutions proposed by startups help reduce the carbon footprint of marinas, from construction to their day-to-day operation. Putting innovation and digital technology at the service of environmentally responsible marinas is the goal of this Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina initiative,” explains Géraldine A. Gustin, CEO of  Blumorpho which specialises in innovation.

Listed according to their core expertise (biodiversity, energy optimisation, water management, waste treatment, equipment, security, and health and mobility), the companies are taking turns to present their solutions to a Grand Jury. All have been allowed to choose three Jury members to present to, an opportunity to explain their innovations and why they are the best to meet the challenges that virtuous marinas represent. In total, some 160 online face-to-face meetings have been arranged by the teams at Blumorpho.

“It’s a great for us to be able to exchange with high-level decisionmakers. It’s a unique opportunity as we are in direct contact with them,” explains Elsa Nico, CEO of French company Falco, and first to face a Grand Oral session with its wireless sensors to monitor berth occupancy in real time. All companies in the running are set to revolutionise the marina landscape as evidenced by the robot designed to clean harbours (Geneseas); an online berth booking platform for marina networks in real time (Seasy); space saving mobile pontoons for marinas (Moore More); or the system to reduce the environmental impact on the seabed with floating installations (Seafloatech).

Initiatives in the equipment sector but that also relate to energy optimisation with hydrogen-based solutions (EODev); security with an autonomous encryption platform (Cyrias); health with multi-lingual assistance on medical matters (HospitHome); waste treatment with a device to capture waste before it enters the water (Green City Organisation); water management with a filtration system based on plant components (Biostart); mobility with technology that can do a 360^o analysis of the navigation area to avoid collisions (LuxC); and biodiversity with composites that regenerate, thereby minimising their impact on the environment.

The oral presentations continue until 10^th September led among others by Credit Suisse, Bombardier, SBM Offshore, Veolia, Bouygues Construction, Colas, Bosch, Suez, Holcim, PureTerra Ventures, BtoV, Circularity Capital, SNGLR, SMEG, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Yacht Club de Monaco and NGE Connect which was the first jury member to kick off the Grand Oral.

“The quality of the presentation and solutions proposed are living up to expectations,” comments Séverine Baudic, jury member and Managing Director, New Energies & Services for SBM Offshore, specialised in the design, manufacturing and marketing of maritime systems and equipment.

In competition for the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards

On 16^th September, at the end of a Consensus Meeting attended by all members, the Jury will announce the 15 startups on the shortlist from which three will be selected to receive the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards on Monday 20^th September. Winners will have the privilege of presenting their projects during Monaco Ocean Week in March 2022, organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Positive impact: sustainable development business model

With the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina rendezvous, the concept of sustainable development when building the new generation of marinas takes on its full meaning.
“Digitisation and innovation are the keys to planning and designing smart marinas. Beyond their mission as places to live, these areas are becoming established as an integral part of Smart Cities and represent a vital link that connects all the facilities and services offered to boat owners. It’s a comprehensive approach that must be anticipated from the design phase, and which all those involved in the sector need to be aware of and take into account,” explains José Marco Casellini, CEO of Monaco Marina Management, organiser of the event.
Owners, startups and big companies, investors and marina promotors, the whole marina ecosystem will gather for the first Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina rendezvous on Monday 20^th September for a day of round tables and discussions on how best to address the challenges posed by virtuous marinas.