The II Barcelona Nautical Summit has concluded its second edition with outstanding success in participation and content, establishing itself as one of the most relevant strategic events in the Mediterranean nautical ecosystem and reinforcing Barcelona’s position as an international hub for superyachts and the blue economy.
Organised by the Barcelona Clúster Nàutic, the event was held at Marina Port Vell, bringing together more than 140 professionals, companies, institutions, and national and international experts in a day focused on knowledge, innovation, regulation, and the generation of business opportunities.
The institutional opening featured the participation of Mr. José Alberto Carbonell, President of the Port of Barcelona, and Raffaele Mancini, Director of the Ocean Decade Collaborative Centre on Ocean Economy of UNESCO-IOC, who from the outset highlighted Barcelona’s key role in the development of the blue economy, sustainability, and maritime innovation.
One of the most notable moments of the day was the intervention of Patrick Coote, Vice President of Superyacht Brands at MarineMax, who offered a global perspective on the superyacht market, highlighting Barcelona as one of the most relevant operational bases in the Mediterranean and with strong potential to consolidate itself as one of the major international hubs in the sector.
Throughout the day, the Summit addressed the main challenges and opportunities of the industry through panel discussions, interviews, and strategic presentations focused on international cluster collaboration, regulation, taxation, geopolitics, sustainability, and innovation. The programme featured leading sector experts such as Alex Chumillas, Carlo Torre, Emma Cobos, Jordi Arbusà, José Luis Fayos, Michael Beattie, Sonia Barbeira, Teresa Font, and Zoran Martinovski.
The event also included a Business to Business (B2B) space designed to facilitate meetings among participants and encourage new business connections, as well as networking moments during the coffee break and finger lunch.
In the afternoon, innovation took centre stage with the Connection Pitch by Barcelona Activa, where six companies presented technological solutions and disruptive proposals aimed at the future of the nautical sector.
The day concluded with the institutional closing by Nadia Quevedo, Commissioner for Economic Promotion, Commerce and Hospitality of the Barcelona City Council, who emphasised the importance of public-private collaboration in further consolidating the city as a Mediterranean benchmark in nautical activity, innovation, and the blue economy.
With this second edition, the Barcelona Nautical Summit reaffirms its position as a platform for strategic dialogue and collaboration, boosting Barcelona’s international projection as one of the most competitive nautical capitals of the Mediterranean.