The fifth edition of the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendez-vous has wrapped up at the Yacht Club de Monaco, reaffirming the Principality’s role as a hub for innovation in yachting, coastal development, and environmental stewardship.
Held on Sunday, September 21 and Monday, September 22 and organised by M3 Monaco with the backing of partners including Bombardier, MB92 Group, and the Italian Yacht Masters Association, the two-day gathering drew together ministers, entrepreneurs, architects, and students from across the globe. The focus: how technology, design, and policy can work hand in hand to reinvent marinas and coastal cities for a low-carbon future.
José Marco Casellini, CEO of M3 Monaco, told participants the event had “moved beyond ideas into implementation,” while Bernard d’Alessandri, Secretary General of the Yacht Club and President of the Monaco Yachting Cluster, stressed that the Rendez-vous is “not a showcase but a laboratory” where international concepts must translate into real infrastructure.
Day two was headlined by Céline Caron-Dagioni, Monaco’s Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Environment and Urban Development, who underlined the Principality’s commitment to combining innovation with ecological responsibility. She pointed to Monaco’s ongoing efforts, from dock electrification and sustainable cruise initiatives to marine biodiversity protection projects in Port Hercules, all part of the drive towards carbon neutrality by 2050.
The global reach of the discussions was evident. Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku presented her country’s rapid transformation as a sustainable tourism hub, powered entirely by renewable energy and driven by new ports and airports. Architect Luca Dini urged a rethink of coastal architecture to protect local traditions and reduce reliance on concrete, while Viena Elioudri of the Saudi Red Sea Authority outlined how GIGA projects in the Red Sea are marrying luxury tourism with environmental regeneration.
Technology also took centre stage, with Qatar’s UDC CEO Yasser Al-Jaidah showcasing “The Pearl,” a futuristic coastal city that uses AI and IoT systems to monitor ecosystems, reduce emissions, and optimise resources.
From Monaco to the Red Sea, from Albania to the Gulf, the message resonated clearly: marinas and coastal cities must become engines of both economic growth and environmental renewal. As Minister Caron-Dagioni concluded, “Innovation and environmental protection are not competing goals, but mutually reinforcing ones. This is the model Monaco is proud to share.”
