Bioblu, co-founded in 2021 by Matt Morley and Paolo Bonaveri, is a consultancy that aims to provide a holistic approach to wellbeing and sustainability in the superyacht industry. With the unveiling of their first concept, the 40m displacement yacht Project BIO (in collaboration with Onital Studio), Bioblu aims “to offer a reinterpretation of the relationship between people and planet, owner and ocean”. 

Project BIO – Build (B) Interiors (I) Operations (O) - aims to enhance the mental and physical health benefits of life at sea for an owner and guests whilst also considering the impact of a yacht on the environment, as Morely elaborates. “We gave considerable weight to concerns around onboard health and wellbeing in this project, balanced with responsible yacht design and environmentally conscious operational practices. As such, the Project BIO 40 metre is a collaborative expression of BioBlu and Onital’s shared vision and values”.

SuperyachtNews speaks with both Morley and Bonaveri, to discuss their entrance into the sustainability consultancy sector and the evolving definition of a sustainable superyacht. “We have been inspired by what we have seen in other sectors, where sustainability has slowly become an umbrella term. Rather than disconnecting from its origins in environmental sustainability and planetary awareness, we recognise that there is a people aspect to that as well.” 

Morley also stresses that, for Bioblu, when considering the build cycle of a vessel and its sustainability obligations, the human impact must be considered from all angles. “Environmental impact isn't just what a yacht is doing to the planet when it is out on the water. We also look at how is it built, where the materials are coming from and the details of the production processes. From there you can layer in the human aspect and say, how is a yacht manufacturer looking after their employees?”

Morley also highlights their belief that yachting, like many other industries, is making the vital transition to defined sustainability standards, such as environmental, social and governance strategies (ESGs). “We see that there is more influence from the wider market on the yacht sector. ESGs do not solely relate to environmental impact, but have a far wider interpretation of what it means to be a responsible business in the 21st century.”

As the superyacht industry's approach to sustainability becomes more focused and imperative, Morley defines where he sees the role of consultancy, such as that offered by Bioblu. “From our perspective, there are not enough players in this particular niche of the sector who are trying to push things forward. We saw an opportunity, and we thought with our skill sets, we could bring something new to the table and play some small role in pushing it forward.”  

Morley goes on to define where he sees Bioblu's position in the market. “ Were are helping yachts and yacht brands to work towards the benchmarks and standards that are being created. As various industry bodies start to gain traction with standards and become more established, stakeholders start asking; OK, great, we want to meet those benchmarks; how do we do it?” 

The 40m Project BIO remains firmly in the concept stage of development and acts as an aggregate of Bioblu's collective vision for yacht building.  Bonaveri, speaking from his experience in the luxury car sector, outlines a fairly ambitious next phase for the Project BIO. “We aim not only to work with the megayacht market; many of these technologies are easy to apply to vessels over 100m. We see a downsizing approach from 50, 40 and 30 metres to create a sustainability panorama in yachting that is much more accessible for everyone.”    

As Morley concludes, “Presently, we see the stakeholders are clearly trying to tackle the sustainability question and come up with a system, benchmarks and data points that the industry and the sector as a whole can agree to. I think it's very nascent still; there is still a long way to go. But this is why it's so interesting for us to enter the market.”

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.