The second edition of the Blue Design Summit, which from 14 to 16 May transformed La Spezia into a crossroads of ideas, innovation, and comparison between the protagonists of high-end boating, design, and sustainable design, has come to a successful conclusion. This year’s title, From Water to Design, guided an in-depth reflection on the relationship between the aquatic element and contemporary design thinking.
The numbers confirm a significant growth compared to the first edition in 2024: +30% attendance, with 1,100 registered participants, 90 speakers of international profile engaged in 16 thematic panels and over 500 professionals involved in networking moments. A success that confirms the growing importance of this appointment in the panorama of sector events in Italy.
One of the key moments of the Summit was the market study presented by SuperYacht Times, which highlighted the leadership of Italian shipyards in yachts over 30 metres: 120 units sold in 2024, twice as many as the rest of the world, and 371 yachts in the portfolio at the beginning of the year, equal to 53% of the global market. These figures confirm the centrality of Made in Italy in the international boating industry, but they should not lower our guard: the 30-40 metre segment, the heart of Italian production, is starting to show signs of slowing down.
Precisely for this reason, the Summit discussed the need for Italian shipyards to grow in size, increasing margins to invest in research, development and environmental sustainability. New projects are oriented towards increasingly efficient boats, with innovative hulls and eco-friendly materials. Design becomes a bridge between technology and beauty, thanks to the talent of Italian designers capable of integrating interiors and exteriors with refined solutions, often in demand in the residential and hotel sector.
Great attention is also paid to the new frontiers of floating living, such as residences on yachts, multifunctional waterfronts and artificial islands. Areas where Italian designers play a key role, as emerged in the panels devoted to residential yachts, hybrid architectures and floating leisure facilities.
Organised by Clickutility Team and Promostudi La Spezia, the Summit is promoted by Miglio Blu, with the support of Regione Liguria, La Spezia City Council, the Port Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea, and numerous institutional and industrial partners.
The Blue Design Summit 2025 thus closes with a clear vision: to strengthen the Italian design identity in the world, to promote a sustainable evolution of the boating industry, and to confirm La Spezia as the capital of a new design culture on the water.
