Superyacht Forum Names Engineering and Safety Agenda for 2026

Amsterdam forum releases its detailed November agenda

The Superyacht Forum has issued the full agenda for its 2026 conference at RAI Amsterdam, scheduled for 16 and 17 November. The organiser is using the theme Accelerate the Evolution to frame discussions intended to connect yachtbuilders, designers, technical experts, owners’ representatives and policymakers.

The October programme announcement adds substance to the event’s earlier registration and logistical notices. It identifies keynote speakers, working groups and subject areas, allowing attending professionals to select relevant sessions rather than simply planning to visit Amsterdam during the wider marine-equipment exhibition season.

The organisers say they want discussions to lead to practical outcomes following the conference. That ambition will be judged by the quality of follow-up and collaboration, not solely by attendance numbers or the number of keynote presentations listed.

High-performance engineering provides an outside perspective

Selin Tur, managing director and chief technology officer of Williams Grand Prix Technologies, is scheduled to speak about engineering lessons that can be transferred from elite motorsport into the marine sector. Her contribution will consider how research, testing and specialist knowledge can become robust solutions rather than experimental features.

The programme highlights batteries, advanced energy systems and the challenges of moving new ideas into scalable installations. Hybrid propulsion and predictive controls create opportunities for more efficient operation, but safety, integration and lifecycle maintenance remain essential for large vessels that may spend long periods far from a builder’s support base.

The use of an outside-industry speaker is intended to challenge habitual assumptions and expose differences between yacht engineering and other demanding technical environments. Motorsport examples can stimulate new thinking, although the operating profile and certification obligations of a superyacht are not identical.

Safety reporting and the design feedback loop

Another session will examine how recurring safety concerns experienced by crew reach, or fail to reach, designers and shipyards. Paul Shepherd, chair of the CHIRP Superyacht Advisory Board, will lead discussions involving naval architecture, build oversight and registry expertise.

It is a practical subject because design decisions have consequences that only become obvious after a yacht has been operated and maintained. Access around machinery, escape routes and workload during routine tasks can create persistent challenges if lessons are not recorded and passed to the people responsible for future designs.

The programme aims to explore why reporting barriers persist and what evidence is required for an operational concern to produce a tangible design change. This may be more valuable than issuing broad safety statements that cannot be converted into revised procedures, standards or construction details.

People, projects and the infrastructure needed for change

The conference groups much of its content around People, Project and Progress themes, combining workforce issues with technical development and wider industry readiness. Topics include crew wellbeing, business culture, careers, succession planning, sustainability and the capabilities needed to support new technology.

Four structured brainstorming sessions will focus on moving problems towards proposed solutions and specific actions. The organisers say outputs could help guide initiatives developed by the Superyacht Alliance, including work through its Raising the Bar Think Tank.

For owners and managers, these subjects are linked. A yacht with sophisticated machinery still needs trained crew and dependable shore support, while shipyards pursuing lower-impact construction must consider the suppliers, infrastructure and skills necessary to implement change across the vessel’s life.

Attendance and what to watch after the event

The forum takes place immediately before the main METSTRADE programme in Amsterdam, providing industry delegates with a concentrated period of discussion and networking. Participants should check official registration conditions, session schedules and any venue updates before travelling.

The programme includes figures drawn from several professional communities rather than solely traditional yacht marketing and sales. That breadth creates an opportunity to address challenges that cross the boundaries between owners, designers, builders, crew and service organisations.

The practical test will be which proposals receive sustained attention after November and whether industry bodies can turn them into usable guidance or engineering improvements. The agenda announcement is therefore a meaningful step in the event preparation, not a report that any of the proposed actions have already been implemented.