Monaco Marina Forum Highlights Investment, AI and New S3 Certifications

Marinas treated as infrastructure, not just real estate

The sixth Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous closed with a stronger emphasis on marinas as infrastructure assets rather than purely leisure or waterfront real estate. The two-day programme brought together professionals from 30 nationalities to discuss investment, biodiversity, shore power, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and changing berth requirements.

Participants highlighted a basic problem facing many established facilities: demand is rising while numerous basins and service systems were designed decades ago for smaller vessels. Reconfiguring berth layouts, dredging, modernising utilities and integrating waterfront development can materially change both a marina’s capacity and its investment case.

AI, cybersecurity and connected dockside systems

Workshops examined how electricity, water, data and connected equipment are changing the marina operating environment. Artificial intelligence was discussed through practical applications rather than abstract forecasting, while cybersecurity was treated as an increasingly important requirement for connected marina infrastructure.

The programme also covered reconfigurable pontoons, new materials for breakwaters and moorings, and ways to retrofit older facilities instead of rebuilding from scratch. That approach is particularly relevant in mature Mediterranean ports where physical expansion can be difficult or heavily constrained.

Charging robots and smart moorings win awards

Kolbev won the pre-revenue innovation category with a mobile robotic charging system for electric boats, while The Warming Surfaces Company won the post-revenue category with its low-voltage Halia heating technology. Seares took the revenue-scaling category with Seadamp, a mechatronic mooring system that adapts to wave motion and powers onboard monitoring sensors.

Nemo’s Garden received the Innovation Coup de Cœur for its underwater biospheres, and Jasper Architects won the architectural competition for a sustainable transformation of Opatija marina in Croatia. The awards were selected from around 30 companies assessed across areas including energy, water, waste, materials, operations and biodiversity.

Six facilities receive new S3 certification

Six marinas, yacht clubs and nautical centres in Monaco, France, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar received certification under the new Smart & Sustainable Standard. The S3 process combines maturity assessment, risk analysis, interviews and an on-site audit to produce a continuous-improvement roadmap.

The event also launched Smart Marina Connect, a B2B platform intended to keep marina managers, project developers and technology companies connected after the Monaco meeting. Yacht Club de Monaco is additionally preparing a Superyachts Marina & Port Management Executive Masterclass for industry professionals and seafarers moving into shore-based roles.