The upcoming edition of Seatec 2017

The 15th edition of Seatec, the international exhibition of Technologies, Subcontracting and Design for boats, yachts and ships, is taking place from March 29th to 31st. During the event, an intense programme of conferences about current and future issues of shipbuilding, management and yacht design will provide a deep insight of the Tyrrhenian  district of yachting.

Italy is the world’s leading exporter in the sector of shipbuilding, exporting yachts for the value of 1.7 billion euros, accounting for over 16% of world exports (UCINA 2016 “Boating in numbers ‒ Market analysis for the year 2015”). The Italian shipbuilding industry, for number of employees and turnover, is particularly concentrated in the Tyrrhenian district (La Spezia, Massa-Carrara, Lucca, Pisa and Livorno). The revenues generated in the district covers the 40.1% of the national turnover of shipbuilding (Ucina 2016), and about the 30% of the national export of ships and boats. The nautical sector is sided by several small and medium-sized accessories’ and components’ manufacturers as well as by companies working in the subcontracting chain that stand out for their high qualitative and technological level.
Seatec gives a significant opportunity for professional updating for the entire industry, offering high technical contents and deals with issues relating the new dynamics of the nautical market.

Among the crucial topics of the season, special attention goes to disability. The topic will be discussed in the context of Myda and Quasar design awards’ prizegiving by the juries and the competitors, with a view to analysing solutions that can facilitate the use of sail and motor boats by disabled and invalid users. On the same subject, in collaboration with SENAF as part of the initiative Disability on Board, the workshop “Accessible Navigation: infrastructures and boats for a wider range of users”, organised by Exposanità, will be held with the aim of rethinking the spaces for boating and the tools for navigation so that they can be benefited from an audience as wider as possible, including also  persons affected by physical or cognitive disabilities. SENAF, in co-operation with Technology Hub, will also held the conference “ Innovative materials and additive manufacturing” on March 30th

Another key issue on the agenda is security on board, or cyber security: the topic will be discussed both by Ethos Media Group ‒ through the words of the researcher Philip Novario, who will analyse experience and practice cases on  physical-logical security ‒  and by Rina Academy, that will discuss the measures to improve information security at sea, explain the guidelines and favour the understanding and awareness of the crucial aspects of this issue, by examining the vulnerability of ships and yachts. Rina Academy will also deal with the issue of water ballast on board, analyzing the international convention for its control and management on board,  together with its sediments.

Caputistudio, with the voice of his manager, architect Gianluca Caputi, will discuss about the project VR4YD, Virtual Reality for Yacht Design, application of virtual reality for the yachting industry with the aim of providing new tools to designers and shipyards to improve the perception of their projects.

In the now well-established area of Ascomac-Unimot, the association of marine engines manufacturers and distributors, shipyard Benetti will present its latest and innovative hull design applied to the “Fast” models and the co-operation with Rolls Royce for the application of transmission by Azipod in carbon, AzipullCarbon 65, whose performances are revolutionizing propulsion systems in the yachting world.

Presentations and side-events will also be held in the Startup Arena, dedicated to business and innovation with new proposals by the youngest companies in the sector; for them, an “Elevator Pitch” will be arranged: a fixed-term presentation lasting only 5 minutes in which each start-up company will present its activity under the watchful eye of a committee of experts that will award the most innovative start-up of the arena.

Other important issues will be presented by the research institute  INSEAN, connected to CNR (National Research Council), which will introduce the database of the ship model basin of Rome, the mobile laboratory for real measurements and will discuss the technological challenges and the opportunities for the marine industry related to clean, renewable energy derived from the sea.

Finally, a technical-educational conference will analyse the topical subject concerning the use of 3D printing in the marine and shipbuilding industries.