The second day of The Balearic Superyacht Forum analyzed, among other topics, the activity related to the repair and refurbishment of large yachts.
The forum has brought together 300 professionals from the superyacht sector in Palma over two days.
Yesterday saw the second and final day of the inaugural edition of The Balearic Superyacht Forum, a pioneering initiative in the Balearic Islands organized by Balearic Marine Cluster and The Superyacht Forum. It focused on the superyacht sector and, with the participation of top international experts, examined the current situation and growth potential of an activity that has become strategic for the future of the economy in the Balearic Islands.
The first session of the day, also held at the Palma Auditorium, analyzed the future of the refit industry in the Islands, focusing on companies dedicated to the repair and refurbishment of large yachts, an activity primarily concentrated in the Port of Palma.
The President of The Superyacht Group and moderator of the roundtable, Martin Redmayne, made it clear in his opening remarks that refit was undoubtedly the most important topic of discussion at the forum. Redmayne provided brief data on the exponential growth of this activity in the Balearic Islands over the last 30 years, reaching a capacity of 100,000 tons today. “Not only is the number of boats increasing, but also their size,” he pointed out. Redmayne warned about the need to plan for the future growth to make it sustainable. “We are doing things well in Mallorca,” he said, “and if local governments understand the sector’s potential, the island can become the hub for refit services in the Mediterranean.”
In a brief intervention, the President of Balearic Marine Cluster, Toni Salom, emphasized the need to ensure collaboration among refit companies in the Balearic Islands: “We have to help each other. We want to ask everyone, clients, managers, companies, etc., to maintain solidarity within this strategic sector.”
The Managing Director of Astilleros de Mallorca, Carlos Morales, opened the floor to highlight the versatility offered by the 40,000 companies in the sector: “In Mallorca, there are plenty of options for every type of client. I don’t know of any other place with such variety and possibilities. Here, there are premium-level companies and specialists capable of competing worldwide. For me, we are not just a hub in the Mediterranean, but globally.”
Another major refit company in Mallorca, STP Shipyard Palma, was represented by its Production Director, Carlos Albons. Albons stressed the adaptability to the needs of superyacht clients offered by the services in Palma but called for more space for this activity: “By 2030, we need to work together in the same direction and secure all the space we can for our activity. We must be good neighbors. The Balearic Islands and Palma need their ports. We have to move in that direction to continue growing.”
Olimpia Corral, Operations Director of Baltic Yacht Service and Refit, analyzed the strategic model that refit in the Balearic Islands must adapt for the future: “The model works well, and it’s being copied elsewhere, but we’ll have to decide whether we’re moving towards more smaller boats or fewer boats, but bigger ones.”
The Managing Partner of BWA Yachting Spain, Antonella della Pietra, welcomed the holding of The Balearic Superyacht Forum and urged attendees to reflect on what such a significant event means for Palma: “We are creating the future. It’s a historic moment. It seems incredible to me. It’s the first time we have brought together so many industry representatives in Mallorca.”
Rupert Savage, Operations Director of GYG/Pinmar, referred to the importance of Mallorca as a destination in the rise of the nautical industry in the Islands: “The reason people come here is because they like the destination. Those who come, will continue to come. I’ve known Mallorca for 35 years. It was very different then. Now there is a lot of experience and professional knowledge.”
Lastly, Xavier Perrone, Commercial Director of Hill Robinson, pointed out two areas in which the Balearic Islands must improve in superyacht-related activity: confidentiality and privacy, and warned about dangerous legislative initiatives that could end the competitiveness of this activity: “We’ve seen in France and Italy how a change in the law can halt the momentum these companies are experiencing and change a future that until then seemed bright.”
The second debate session of the morning was a workshop focused on the environmental sustainability of the sector under the heading ‘The Industry’s Roadmap to the Sustainable Development Goals.‘ This part featured Lucía Mingot, Director of Innovation and Quality at Astilleros de Mallorca, Nigel Marrison, CEO of Blue ESG and superyacht captain, Isabel Teruel, Port Director at Ocibar Marinas Singulares, and Jose Escaño, Project Director at the MedGardens Foundation.
Finally, the grand finale of the first edition of The Balearic Superyacht Forum was the grand finale of the Blue Start Pitching Competition. An initiative of the Balearic Marine Cluster to decide which is the best innovative company in the nautical sector. In this workshop, five startups, previously selected from a multitude of candidates, presented their projects and strategic plans to a group of experts from the sector. The main objective of this initiative was to train and promote innovation in the nautical sector. The five finalists who opted among other benefits to a prize of five thousand euros were Keep Boat Afloat, SafetyCraft, Searebbel, Seawex and Toroi Marine.
The first edition of The Balearic Superyacht Forum was organised by the Balearic Marine Cluster and The Superyacht Forum. This international event was only possible thanks to the sponsorship of Astilleros de Mallorca, Baltic Yachts Service & Refit, BWA Yachting, Evolution Yachts Agents, Hill Robinson, Nautipaints, Ocibar Marinas Singulares, Pinmar and STP Shipyard Palma, with the institutional support of the Consell de Mallorca and the Palma International Boat Show.
