Genoa International Boat Show 2025: the sea as a laboratory for design and innovation

The 2025 Genoa International Boat Show is set to transform the sea into a stage for innovation and design. From 18 to 23 September, the Ligurian city will host the 65th edition within the Renzo Piano–designed Waterfront di Levante, bringing together more than 1,000 boats, 23 new shipyards, exhibitors from 45 countries and over 90 conferences and workshops—reconfirming the Show as a global platform for yachting, even in the midst of international uncertainties. Following a record-breaking 2023, with the global boating industry reaching €34.8 billion (+7.3% compared to 2022), the market saw a contraction in 2024, largely due to a slowdown in smaller craft. Yet, the large yacht segment continues to expand, consolidating its role as the driving force of the premium market. Italy retains its worldwide leadership, holding 54% of superyacht orders and 34% of their overall value, with 90% of national production destined for export. As Marina Stella, General Director of Confindustria Nautica, notes: “The Boat Show is not just an exhibition, but an authoritative space where companies engage with institutions and markets, addressing the challenges of innovation, sustainability and internationalisation.”

If the market defines the numbers, it is design that shapes the cultural imagination of contemporary yachting. Today’s yachts are no longer merely objects of luxury, but immersive living environments—floating laboratories of interior design. Italian architects and designers bring on board languages borrowed from art, furniture and fashion, experimenting with innovative, sustainable materials, fluid interiors that erase boundaries between inside and out, and solutions that balance aesthetics and functionality. The latest generation of interiors resemble seaside homes, where comfort and technology coexist in harmony. Collaborations with international design studios are multiplying, with architecture and interiors practices reimagining boats as spaces of life: lighter forms, natural textures and layouts evoking domesticity without compromising elegance. It is no coincidence that leading figures such as Piero Lissoni, Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, and Fabio Fantolino—author of the interiors of the Azimut Fly 72—are bringing their vision to the sea, turning nautical design into a natural extension of contemporary living.
 

At the heart of this cultural landscape is the Design Innovation Award, now in its sixth edition and recognised as an international benchmark. Established in 2020 as a gesture of resilience in the midst of the pandemic, it has grown into a cultural platform that celebrates research, technical achievement and aesthetic vision. The 2025 jury will be chaired by Walter De Silva, a master of automotive design, Compasso d’Oro winner and Ambassador of Italian excellence. His presence underscores the interconnectedness of different creative worlds—cars, yachts, architecture—highlighting the cross-disciplinary nature of design. “The constant pursuit of beauty is the primary source of inspiration for works that become timeless sculptures, the very essence of Made in Italy,” says De Silva.

The Award spans ten product categories, from small boats to superyachts, accessories, electronics and onboard software, alongside three special prizes dedicated to Innovation, Lifetime Achievement and Talent. “Nautical design is a cultural frontier where these values intertwine,” adds architect Luisa Bocchietto, Chair of the Award’s Steering Committee. In recent years, the Design Innovation Award has anticipated trends and launched pioneering projects: from Moi Composites’ 3D-printed MAMBO, to the recyclable-fibre Ecoracer, to experimental projects from universities. Far from being a mere prize, it has become a catalyst for new trajectories in design and industry.

The 2025 edition also acts as a laboratory for broader strategies and visions. The programme includes the World Yachting Sustainability Forum and the European Sustainable Boating Roundtable, with a focus on ESG standards and international trade. Alongside, initiatives dedicated to younger generations will promote start-ups, schools and universities, with special access for students and orientation towards maritime professions. The Show’s international dimension will also be strengthened by delegations of operators and journalists from 35 countries, in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency (ICE).

An additional sign of Genoa’s global reach will come on 20 September, with the signing of a multi-year collaboration agreement between Confindustria Nautica and the 38th America’s Cup Event ahead of Naples 2027. It will be a powerful reminder that the Genoa International Boat Show is not only an industrial showcase, but also a cultural and design hub, where innovation, aesthetics and sustainability converge to define the future of the sea.

DESIGN INNOVATION AWARD: PRESTIGIOUS HONORS PRESENTED AT PALAZZO DUCALE DURING THE 65th GENOA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

Art meets design in Genoa. In the evocative setting of Palazzo Ducale, the cultural heart of the Ligurian capital, the sixth edition of the Design Innovation Award celebrated excellence, research, and innovation in the global boating industry. The prestigious international prize, promoted by Confindustria Nautica and the Genoa International Boat Show (September 18–23), is a tribute to the "Beautiful and Well-Made" ethos of Italian craftsmanship that has gained worldwide renown.

CATEGORIES, WINNERS, AND MOTIVATIONS

Boats under 10 m (sail, motor, or inflatable)

• A32 Luxury Tender – Cranchi Yachts – Designer: Christian Grande | Naval Architect: Aldo Cranchi

• Reason: A convincing and finely detailed solution for a contemporary luxury tender that continues the shipyard’s design tradition.

Sailing yachts up to 14 m LH

• XR41 – X-Yachts

• Reason: The ability to combine racing performance with a level of habitability that meets demands for lightness and interior flexibility.

Sailing yachts over 14 m LH

• Oceanis 52 – Beneteau – Designer: Biscontini Yacht Design | Naval Architect: Nauta Design

• Reason: High-quality construction with innovative solutions in both deck and interior layouts, integrated into a large-scale production model.

Motorboats up to 14 m LH

• New Pardo 43 – Cantiere del Pardo – Exterior: Nauta Design & Zuccheri Yacht Design | Interior: Nauta Design | Naval Architect: Zuccheri Yacht Design

• Reason: An undisputed balance between elegance and sportiness, executed with exceptional build quality.

Motorboats over 14 m LH

• Ferretti Yachts 800 – Ferretti Group – Exterior: Filippo Salvetti | Interior: Ideaeitalia | Naval Architect: Piero Ferrari & Ferretti Group Engineering Dept.

• Reason: Strong aesthetic, design, and construction coherence, defining an identity-driven yacht designed for true usability.

Superyachts over 24 m LH

• SL110A – Sanlorenzo – Exterior: Zuccon International Project | Interior: Lissoni&Partners

• Reason: A further confirmation of Sanlorenzo’s ability to innovate onboard space distribution, combined with ongoing research in materials and finishes.

Maxi RIBs over 10 m LH

• Stradivari 52 – Cantieri Capelli – Designer: Cantieri Capelli Technical Dept. & Giuseppe Bagnardi (BG Design Firm)

• Reason: An excellent balance between onboard comfort and formal quality, supported by precise attention to detail.

Multihulls

• BGF45 – Bluegame – Designer: Luca Santella & Zuccon International Project | Hull Designer: Bluegame & Caponnetto Hueber

• Reason: Cutting-edge technologies transferred to a series production yacht, with interior solutions of unexpected impact.

Accessories and equipment

• IPS Professional Platform – Volvo Group Italia

• Reason: A technical innovation that maximizes efficiency and allows versatile pairing with different propulsion types.

Onboard electronics and software

• Force Pro – Garmin

• Reason: Functional design and advanced solutions for electronic position control.

Honorable Mentions

• Lancia Aprea 42 – Aprea Yacht & Service – Designer: Victory Design

  • Reason: A reinterpretation of classic lines and masterful material use for a yacht with strong identity.

• Wauquiez 55 – Wauquiez – Concept: Cyril Ballu | Interior: Roseo Design | Naval Architect: Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group

  • Reason: Evolving the Wauquiez tradition toward a long-range cruiser, with contemporary sail and layout solutions.

SPECIAL AWARDS

• Innovation: Say 52 – Say Carbon Yachts – Designer: Karl Wagner, SAY Engineers & Genesis Design

  • Reason: A highly emotional design integrating form and advanced construction solutions.

• Lifetime Achievement: Cantieri Navali Codecasa

  • Reason: Honored on the 200th anniversary of its founding, Codecasa has continuously evolved its products, achieving a perfect balance of tradition and innovation that led to outstanding examples of construction excellence.

• Talent (for high-potential entrepreneurial ideas): Electrifly

  • Reason: Recognized for developing an innovative motor shaft support system based on magnetic levitation.

• Liguria International Award: Gene.Sys – Builder: P2M for Amer Yachts

JURY MEMBERS

Advisory Committee Representative

• Luisa Bocchietto – Architect, Designer, and DIA Advisory Committee Member

Design and yachting experts

• Walter De Silva – Designer

• Aleks Tatic – Designer

Yachting journalists (national and international)

• Franco Michienzi – Editor-in-Chief, Barche

• Pier Paolo Bellina – Editor-in-Chief, Il Gommone

• Nabil Farhat – Editor-in-Chief, The World of Yachts & Boats

Academia and institutions

• Andrea Ratti – Executive Director, MSc Yacht Design, Politecnico di Milano

Owners and cultural figures

• Claudio Feltrin – President, Federlegno Arredo