"For humanity to survive on Earth, we need revolutionary innovations that we haven't invented yet. The best we can do now is to use resources wisely and conserve them until these innovations help restore balance between human activities and the Earth. We can no longer ignore the disproportionate environmental impact of certain luxury sailing styles and must find ways to provide the same level of enjoyment while significantly reducing environmental impact," said Shiori Nagata, Non-Executive Director of Management at NEC Corporation and Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. and former president of Yanmar Marine.

The latest nautical trends already include vessels with sustainable propulsion systems, the use of sustainable energy sources such as solar panels on vessels and the use of recyclable materials. Artificial intelligence has also been present in the recreational nautical industry for years through the creation of sales presentations and virtual tours, while in the commercial part, it is present in the form of simulators for crew education. In the future, self-docking technology, collision prevention systems, as well as the expansion of home technology to the comfort of boat trips, etc., will be increasingly present.

"The key to nautical development is sustainability. By that I mean the sustainability of capacity, natural resources and diversity of offer. Strengthening the awareness of all nautical participants about the need to protect the sea and the undersea as well as a regulated legal framework will ensure a balanced development of nautical", said Nina Perko, Director of the Maritime Administration in the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure at the panel on the future of Croatian nautical by 2040.

"Croatia does not have large shipyards of industrial production, but it has individual shipbuilders who stand out with their work, knowledge and creative ideas and compete with world names. In addition, Croatia has a geographical position, one of the most beautiful in the world for nautical, so the basis for development exists, but the question is when and how quickly it can develop in shipbuilding in the sports and recreational segment, considering its size and economic role in the market. The development of nautical in Croatia for the coming time will largely depend on the capacity to accommodate vessels, because there are not enough moorings at sea for any vessels, and not only for catamarans, which have revolutionized the nautical market in the last 10 years", Tihana Tadinac pointed out. , a specialist in the nautical industry.

Ana Čalić, head of marketing and continuous improvement in Navela, pointed out that " For as many young people as possible to see an opportunity in the nautical industry, it is necessary to brand it and additionally work on education and networking of the nautical industry, either through a sales portfolio or through conferences like this to share regional and global visions for the development of nautical and encouraging positive changes”.

The conference was attended by world-renowned stakeholders such as Giulia Polli from the United Arab Emirates, Delphine Planes from France, Josie Tucci from the United States of America and Janja Cerar from Slovenia. In addition, one of the panels at the conference was dedicated to the counter-perspective, and the discussion was attended by Roko Vuletić, President of the Iskra Shipyard Management Board and Philip Easthill, Secretary General of the European Boating Industry (EBI) and Ivica Kostelić, a former alpine skier and professional regatta sailor.

For more information, please get in touch with us at 091 566 8406 or by e-mail at aleksandra.stingl@bolder.hr