MILAN — In a move that further unites the design and yachting worlds, Salone del Mobile’s president Maria Porro has been appointed as chair of a jury for Genoa’s International Boat Show’s Design Innovation Award. In a statement released Tuesday, the nautical fair’s organizers said the award ceremony will take place during the annual fair at the Genoa Stock Exchange on Sept. 22 — the second day of the six-day show that will end Sept. 26.
Founded 60 years ago, the Genoa Boat Show unites leaders of the yachting sector, of which Genoa, with its fabled shipbuilding and maritime tradition — has been on the pulse for decades.
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The Design Innovation Award was established by Confindustria Nautica (the national nautical business consortium) and the company I Saloni Nautici in 2020 as a way to highlight the work of the sector’s torchbearers.
Porro will helm the work of a committee made up of industry experts — recognized professional figures in the fields of sailing, design and culture — who will choose the winners and products that stand out in the realms of research, innovation, formal and technical quality and sustainability.
Salone del Mobile said the decision to appoint Porro as president was based on her ability to impart “bold perspectives and insights, especially in the fields of environmental, economic and social responsibility,” and “her strong belief that the design of today, along with the creative potential of the upcoming generation, will produce virtuous solutions that will accelerate the changes our planet so badly needs.”
In a statement, Porro highlighted the similarities between the Genoa boat show and Milan’s Salone del Mobile, underscoring their role in propelling the work of international tastemakers and innovators to the fore.
“There’s a powerful bond between the International Boat Show and the Salone del Mobile, which makes me particularly honored to have been invited to chair the Design Innovation Award Jury… I look forward to working with my colleagues to support and promote the quality and excellence of boats that will stand out for their innovation, aesthetics, on-board comfort, energy efficiency and sustainable production,” she said.
Led by companies like luxury yacht maker Ferretti Group, which is listed in Hong Kong and in Milan, the value of the production of Italy’s yachting sector stood at 3.6 billion in 2021, according to the study titled “The State of the Art of the Global Yachting Market” presented by Deloitte and Confindustria Nautica in April. Figures for 2022 have yet to be released but revenue forecasts for Italian shipyards in 2022 are expected to post a growth rate of between 15 and 20 percent. The report also said that the global yachting market was worth 52 billion euros in 2021 and around 60 percent of that value was related to new boat production.