The 5th Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous 2025 took place at the Yacht Club de Monaco on 21 and 22 September, gathering global experts to discuss the future of marina development. Organised by M3 Monaco, the event focused on practical solutions for sustainable marinas, coastal innovation and data-driven management.
Delegates included marina managers, architects, investors and innovators, alongside government representatives from South Africa, Albania and Qatar. Sessions addressed creating coastal destinations that balance attractiveness with ecosystems, adapting business models to regulations and using data as a strategic lever for sustainable operations.
Céline Caron-Dagioni, Monaco’s Minister of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development, noted: “In Monaco we have the shared commitment to shape future marinas and customise the city through dialogue and international cooperation. The sea is part of our DNA and we feel that it is our responsibility to demonstrate that attractiveness and environmental responsibility can go together.”
Belinda Balluku, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy of Albania, added: “Monaco is a great example of how people can bring out the best of what they have. We’re talking about sea and small land; characteristics shared between our two countries. This is why Monaco, with all it has achieved, is a very good example and inspiration for us.”
The event concluded with the International Smart & Sustainable Marina Awards, which recognised innovative marina projects and sustainable design concepts. A jury of more than 35 industry figures reviewed entries from 26 startups and scaleups, nine marinas and 15 architectural teams across 17 nationalities.
- Startup award: French company Gwilen won for converting marine sediments into building materials. Italy’s BetterSea Power earned the M3 Monaco special prize for its docking station concept that uses renewable energy and waste collection.
- Scaleup award: Metarina, with bases in Germany and Spain, won for its app supporting marina management worldwide. Croatia’s Kontis received the special prize for its service terminals providing water, electricity, waste disposal and recharging functions.
- Architectural awards: Germany’s Ingenhoven Associates GmbH received the professional prize for its modular roofing project in Venice, while Zahra Jafari and her team from Iran University of Arts won the student category with a sustainable eco- neighbourhood masterplan.
- Marina awards: Croatia’s Marina Resort Cavtat was named overall winner for its regenerative vision and design. Special prizes were awarded to IGY Marinas for redeveloping Cannes’ Vieux Port with sustainability at its core and Marina da Gloria in Brazil for combining infrastructure with cultural, sporting and social projects.
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Jose Marco Casellini, CEO of M3 Monaco, stated: “We are very proud because this 5th edition went very well. We had more than 200 people participating and what was most important was the quality of the participants. We had many representatives for the industry but also ambassadors, vice prime ministers, members of the government from South Africa, Albania and Qatar and this allowed us to be more recognisable. As of now, the importance of the meeting has reached a good level.”
Bernard d’Alessandri, General Secretary of Yacht Club de Monaco, said: “Yachting cannot function without an ecosystem. By bringing together so many professionals, we are demonstrating that the environmental transition of marinas is a universal ambition.”
The event was attended by the editor of Marina World, Patrick Norén, as well as sales manager, Brianna Johann. A full post-event review will follow shortly.
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