When one considers the big picture and the need for developments across the board, it can sometimes be difficult to see the wood from the trees and, invariably, solutions to large generalised problems create broad generalised solutions that are of questionable value. With The Superyacht Forum Live just around the corner, 15-17 November at The RAI Amsterdam and in partnership with METSTRADE, it is worth exploring the ways that the challenge of ‘Superyacht 2030’ may be interpreted. For some sectors, this represents an opportunity for out-of-the-box thinking and far-reaching evolutions of their current offerings, while for other sectors the necessary developments may be small tweaks that can perfect a product or service. However, arguably the market’s greatest challenge remains to create purpose.

If Monaco Yacht Show 2021 taught the superyacht market anything, it is that there is a near-obsession with hybrid propulsion and sustainable propulsion systems more generally amongst the industry’s media. And while sustainable propulsion is undoubtedly one of the market’s many challenges, it is only a small part of the puzzle. Furthermore, it is the part that we arguably know most about. Many shipyards already have a hybrid offering, regardless of how many owners opt to use them, and we already know of the various plans on the part of major shipyards to embrace electric, hydrogen or some other form of sustainable energy.

These developments are just around the corner and if the superyacht market’s typically secretive modus operandi is anything to go on, we should not be surprised if there were already projects in development to make these hypothetical systems a reality. It is important, therefore, during The Superyacht Forum Live to look beyond the usual discussions.

It is often said that people over-estimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what can be achieved in 10 years – or nine years in the case of Superyacht 2030. One of the most frequently leaned-upon phrases in the superyacht industry, that too many take as a given, is that “no one needs a superyacht”. Our challenge during The Superyacht Forum Live is to prove this statement wrong,

For many years the superyacht industry has been fixated on the ‘what’ not the ‘why’. For all the industry’s various machinations, at its core, it is a buyer-driven industry. If the owner requests it, the market can build it or provide it. As such, the most profound thing that the market can achieve is challenging the buyer to ask for more. How do we make superyachts an asset that UHNWIs feel like they need? How can the market evolve to reflect contemporary values? How can we build a market that gives back?

These are the questions that we will be asking at The Superyacht Forum Live.

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