MONACO, Aug. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Back for its fifth edition, the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous, returns on 21 and 22 September to bring together the leaders of maritime sustainability. Launched in 2021 and organised by M3 Monaco with the support of the Prince Albert II Foundation and the Yacht Club de Monaco, the event has become a meeting point for over 250 professionals in the maritime sector – investors, architects, startups, and marina managers – all committed to the ecological transformation of nautical infrastructures.
“In five years, this event has become a global focal point for sustainable innovation for marinas. Together we are co-creating the yachting of tomorrow: responsible, collaborative and driven by targeted expertise", explains José Marco Casellini, CEO of M3 Monaco. The initiative is part of the ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach, also promoted by organisations such as Bombardier, MB92 Group and Italian Yacht Masters.
Since its debut, the Rendezvous has already delivered tangible results. More than 110 startups, 50 marinas and 30 architectural firms have taken part, giving rise to solutions already operational on the market. Among the most emblematic: Terroïko and H2X Ecosystems, winners of the first edition, which have grown respectively in workforce and international outreach.
In 2022, Solar Cloth introduced a flexible photovoltaic fabric tested by the Yacht Club de Monaco, capable of feeding renewable energy back into the Club’s grid. The following year, Pick a Pier presented a digital berthing management platform that reduced cancellations by 57% and increased bookings by 20%. More recently, Nereid Water and EH2P Marine jointly won with an innovative solar desalination system that discharges no concentrated brine, currently in operation in Monaco.
For Marc Hervas, Sustainability Manager at MB92 Group, the value of the event is broad and cross-sectoral: “All the startups cover a wide range of topics, from energy efficiency and water treatment to biodiversity. Therefore, it is really interesting for marinas and shipyards to participate in Smart Marina to discover new innovations that will soon be on the market and could help improve sustainability.”
The Rendezvous is also an opportunity to actively engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Not surprisingly, past winners include renowned names such as Flisvos Marina, Karpaz Gate Marina, Limassol Marina, Alciudamar, Setur Marina, and Kos Marina.
The 2025 edition will also mark the launch of the SMART Dock project, a collaborative lab where startups, manufacturers, port operators and investors will join forces to develop a prototype for an intelligent, sustainable and modular dock. A real-world infrastructure, connected and biodiversity-conscious, designed to support the energy transition.
Another highlight will be the Smart Marina Architecture Competition, involving students and architecture firms from around the globe. Since its launch, the competition has already engaged 104 students and 30 firms from 24 countries. “The competition embodies our vision to combine creative architecture with technological innovation and a commitment to the environment. We invite talents from all over the world to imagine the marinas of the future,” says Yacht Club de Monaco General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri.
For the 2025 edition, the selected site is Certosa Island in Venice, as part of the ‘The Frame of Venice’ project. Participants are invited to design three resilient infrastructures for Venezia Certosa Marina that can address environmental and climate-related challenges. Evaluation criteria include environmental impact, feasibility, alignment with SDGs, energy efficiency, use of sustainable materials and seasonal adaptability. The finalist projects will be presented during the event, with awards given in the Student and Professional categories.
Concluding the event on 22 September at 4:00 PM will be the International Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards, recognising excellence in the categories of Startup, Scaleup, Marina, Professional Architect, and Student Architect.
For more information:
Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it
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