Balearic Marine Cluster held its annual General Assembly of members on Wednesday, October 18th.
The 80 companies in the nautical sector currently comprising the Balearic Marine Cluster were convened last Wednesday at the Port Authority building of the Balearic Islands to approve the budgets, financial statements, and the association’s strategic plan for 2024.
Toni Salom, the association’s president, opened the event by welcoming the attendees and reviewing the evolution of the cluster from its establishment in 2019 to the present day.
In the past year, the association has experienced growth not only in the number of members (15 new members compared to the last assembly) and projects undertaken but also in its structure, as the BMC team has grown by one more person compared to 2022.
The figure of 38 projects developed was presented by Pedro Suasi, the cluster’s manager. These projects and initiatives cover various aspects of the sector, including destination promotion, innovation, sustainability, training and employment, as well as studies to enhance the competitiveness of the Balearic nautical industry.
Some of the most notable projects and milestones include the establishment of Balearic Marine Cluster as an Innovative Business Group and the inclusion of five of its member companies in the National Register of Innovative SMEs of the Ministry of Science and Innovation. Together with the existing entries in its record book and the new additions after becoming an Innovative Business Group, this totals 10 innovative SMEs.
Another significant project has been the launch of four professional certification programs under the “SOIB Dual Training Strategic Sectors” call, covering all training areas in the vehicle transportation and maintenance family (painting, carpentry, rigging and sailmaking, mechanics, and electronics). This project involved a total of 36 companies and generated 90 new jobs within the sector, all 100% subsidized, mobilizing a total of €1.8 million.
On this occasion, the different services offered by Balearic Marine Cluster to its members were also presented, including an employment and training office, business promotion through the Balearic Marine Hub platform, joint participation in major nautical trade fairs, monitoring and advisory services for grants and subsidies, and a technical office providing quality, innovation, and sustainability assistance to all association members.
Furthermore, Balearic Marine Cluster has not limited its presence and project development to the local level but has established and enhanced its international presence this year through participation in international conferences like the “World Marina Conference 2023,” engagement in European projects such as “Eu WestMed Na_Tour,” and strengthening relationships with external institutions and organizations at “Rencontres du Yachting en Region Sud.”
All these projects and initiatives can be found on the Balearic Marine Cluster website, which aims to serve as a living record of the association’s activities.
After the assembly, the attendees at the event enjoyed a networking cocktail, where they could discuss the new projects that the association will undertake in 2024.
