We are delighted to announce that on Monday 18th November at the RAI, Amsterdam, Jasper Smith will open The Superyacht Forum 2019 and inspire over 800 delegates with his invaluable experience as a venture capitalist, investor, technological entrepreneur and advocate of doing things differently with The Arksen Foundation.

In order to build for the next generation, we must seek out role models who have successfully navigated their way through business, to understand the lessons they have learnt along the way, and the ways in which they keep the momentum going when times get tough.

The Superyacht Forum welcomes Arksen founder, Jasper Smith, who will share a personal insight into his career to date, including his motivations to build a new business in the yacht space with sustainability, adventure, and discovery as the project’s DNA. Smith will reveal what he believes is on the horizon for the next generation, as well as what the customers of the future will want from the sea and yachting, and the new type of journey they will be requesting.

"Our mission is to inspire a new generation of explorer, sailor, adventurer and scientist; motivating them to go further, for longer and in support of projects that empower global audiences to better understand, protect and nurture the world’s oceans" - Jasper Smith, Founder - Arksen

SuperyachtNews spoke to Jasper Smith and Ewan Hind (COO - Arksen) about the businesses various updates as we approach and the key goals for the company. “Arksen is a technology and adventure company designing the ultimate marine exploration vessels, with the aim to develop the world’s largest fleet of research capable vessels. Our mission is to inspire a new generation of explorer, sailor, adventurer and scientist; motivating them to go further, for longer and in support of projects that empower global audiences to better understand, protect and nurture the world’s oceans."

Created out of a deep-rooted commitment to help promote behavioural change in the way that we use and understand the ocean, Arksen places a focus on showing the industry and the world that it is possible to re-think the way we do things, and that holding sustainability and technology at the core of a business is a must if businesses want to be guardians for future generations – a focus that will be explored over the course of the three days at The Superyacht Forum 2019.

When considering our theme for this year’s Forum, Building for the Next Generation, Smith commented, “My children were at the climate protests in London this summer. They, and millions like them around the world, have done a better job at provoking change in the last 12 months than we have done in the last decade. The level of change that we need can only be delivered by governments cooperating unilaterally and globally. But our children are doing a great job at stimulating the debate and communicating. They are a powerful catalyst for change. We should be universally proud of their achievements and rally behind their efforts.

"We feel that owning an Arksen vessel is not a status symbol, but a statement of intent and we are looking to build a like-minded community of owners." - Jasper Smith, Founder - Arksen

“There are numerous reports released recently that demonstrate how the decisions made in the next 10 years will affect the future for all. We cannot carry on, business as usual, we must stop, think, and look at what we are doing. Therefore, any project looking at making the right choices for the future generations is something very close to our hearts,” said Smith.

Through the Arksen Foundation, the Arksen Explorers Club and the Arksen Adventure Marine Syndicate, Smith and his team are pioneering a completely new model for vessel ownership and usage. “One that changes the meaning of owning a boat from a self-serving endeavour to a powerful statement of intent,” continued Smith. “We build capable explorer vessels that are robust, highly efficient, designed to minimise maintenance, in the most sustainable ways we can."

That building a superyacht has an environmental impact, but the Arksen team offset this impact through a commitment to use sustainable materials and ensuring that their products are recyclable. “Most importantly we commit our owners to use their vessels to support the research projects that the Arksen Foundation supports. The combination is unique in the industry today, but we hope it will become the norm over time and if so, we will have been delighted to pioneer such a movement,” explained Smith.

“We feel that owning an Arksen vessel is not a status symbol, but a statement of intent and we are looking to build a like-minded community of owners. We see an Arksen owner as someone that craves getting off the beaten track, of being in the wilderness, of learning and discovery, of rare and amazing experiences and sharing them with people they love.

“Many of the sailors I talk to want to go further afield and want to get to the more remote parts of the world, but the majority of production yachts are really not designed for remote cruising. So, one of the things that was important to us when we started the design process was to come up with a very efficient hull form that was extremely capable in a wide range of sea states, with exceptional range, good speed, stability and with sufficient storage to allow for very extended cruising.  Our aim was to ensure that if you bought an Arksen vessel you felt that you had everything that you might need to embark on your greatest adventure,” Smith concluded.

Since their launch in January 2019, the Arksen project has been going from strength to strength, with the expansion of both their technical and management teams. “In addition to having the first Arksen 85 ready for build early next year, the designers have been finalising the Arksen 70, a model which has proven to be very popular and makes up a large part of the enquiries we receive. The 70 will also be ready to commence build in 2020 alongside the Arksen 85,” said Hind.

“Our technical teams have been working tirelessly, developing relationships with partners and suppliers, looking at the full life cycle of each element of the build but ensuring that, above all, the vessels meet and exceed safety standards so that our clients can explore in exceptionally high levels of comfort,” Hind continued. “One highlight over the last few months is that Arksen has already been recognised for its impact, influence and investor potential with its listing as the ‘One to Watch’ for the ‘UK’s Most Impactful Investment’ at the 2019 Intelligent Partnership Growth Investor Awards.”

Gain an understanding and insight from Jasper Smith on his approach to business from 12:00-13:00 for The Art of Business on day one of The Superyacht Forum 2019, in association with METSTRADE. Remaining tickets available here.

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