Next Yacht Group is expanding into metal superyacht construction following the acquisition of SIMAN, with the first 50-metre Maiora already under construction.
Next Yacht Group, the owner of Maiora and AB Yachts, is expanding into the metal superyacht sector following the acquisition of Italian engineering and fabrication specialist SIMAN, with the first 50-metre Maiora already under construction.
The acquisition forms part of a major industrial expansion that will give the group greater control over metal fabrication, mechanical engineering, propulsion systems and other important areas of large-yacht construction.
Continental Investment Srl, which is under the same ownership as Next Yacht Group, has acquired 100 per cent of SIMAN. The transaction is supported by a €20 million industrial development programme, of which approximately €11 million has already been invested.
The move represents a significant development for Next Yacht Group and its two yacht brands. Maiora has traditionally specialised in fast, highly customised luxury motor yachts, while AB Yachts has built its reputation around lightweight construction, waterjet propulsion and high-performance yachts.
The group is now preparing to extend both brands further into the larger metal superyacht market.
The first evidence of that strategy is already under construction in the form of a new 50-metre Maiora. Although detailed specifications have not yet been released, the yacht marks an important increase in scale for the brand and confirms that the group's expansion into metal construction has moved beyond the planning stage.
Further metal yacht projects are also being developed for both Maiora and AB Yachts, with new models expected to be revealed before the end of 2026.
SIMAN brings almost four decades of specialist marine engineering experience to the group. Founded in 1988, the company operates in metal fabrication, mechanical engineering, propulsion, construction, refit and maintenance.
Its activities extend beyond luxury yachting into commercial and defence shipbuilding, including work connected with the Italian Navy.
The company's facilities in La Spezia and Pisa will strengthen Next Yacht Group's existing industrial presence in Tuscany and Liguria, one of the world's most important yacht-building regions.
The acquisition will also allow the group to bring more specialist engineering and construction capabilities under direct control.
This is increasingly important as yacht projects grow larger and more technically complex. Building a 50-metre-plus yacht involves extensive coordination between structural fabrication, machinery, propulsion, electrical systems, hydraulics, interiors and specialist subcontractors.
Greater vertical integration can give a shipyard more control over construction schedules, engineering standards and project costs.
Next Yacht Group chairman Mario Petroni described the acquisition as a natural development of the group's industrial strategy and an important step towards strengthening its position in the metal-yacht sector.
The expansion follows a period of strong growth for the company.
Next Yacht Group reported an order book exceeding €100 million during 2025, together with 10 yacht sales, six launches and four deliveries across Maiora and AB Yachts.
The group has also continued to expand its yacht ranges.
Maiora's recent developments include the M|30, M|38 and the larger Maiora 42 Exuma, while AB Yachts has continued developing increasingly large and sophisticated high-performance models.
The arrival of a 50-metre metal Maiora represents another step in that progression.
It also raises considerable interest around the future direction of AB Yachts. The brand is best known for extremely fast yachts using lightweight construction and powerful waterjet propulsion, and the confirmation that metal projects are also being developed under the AB name could lead to a new generation of significantly larger performance superyachts.
Details of those projects have not yet been announced.
The acquisition of SIMAN will also result in an expansion of the group's workforce.
Approximately 70 existing SIMAN employees are expected to remain with the business, while Next Yacht Group plans to recruit up to 30 additional employees across the wider organisation. Around 15 further positions are expected to be created directly at SIMAN.
As many as 45 new jobs could therefore result from the expansion.
For the Italian superyacht industry, the development creates another builder with ambitions to compete more strongly in the larger metal-yacht market.
Italy already dominates much of global superyacht production, but moving from composite or smaller yacht construction into large aluminium and steel yachts requires substantial investment in facilities, engineering expertise and specialist personnel.
The acquisition of SIMAN gives Next Yacht Group an established industrial platform from which to make that transition.
Much remains unknown about the first 50-metre Maiora, including its naval architect, designers, propulsion, hull number, owner and expected delivery date.
Those details are likely to become clearer as construction progresses and the group reveals its new metal-yacht range.
What is already clear, however, is that the project represents more than simply another new Maiora model.
Together with the acquisition of SIMAN and the €20 million investment programme, it signals a broader change in direction for Next Yacht Group.
Maiora and AB Yachts are preparing to move further into the large custom and semi-custom superyacht market, supported by their own expanded metal construction and engineering capabilities.
The first 50-metre Maiora now under construction will provide the first major indication of how that strategy translates from industrial expansion into a finished superyacht.