![\"\"](\"https:\/\/yachtclass.mc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/18\u1d49-Symposium-Economique-3-700x467.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWritten by : Ana\u00efs Riu – Photos : YCM \/ Direction de la Communication – St\u00e9phane Danna<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hushed wood-panelled rooms of the Yacht Club de Monaco still echo with the lively exchanges of its 18th Economic Symposium \u2013 La Belle Classe Superyachts. On Thursday 5th February, nearly a hundred leading figures from the international yachting world gathered for a dinner-debate organised in collaboration with UBS, all driven by the same question: how can environmental constraints be turned into economic opportunities? Blending macroeconomic analysis with avant-garde projects, the evening sketched the outlines of a reimagined yachting industry aligned with the strategic initiative \u201cMonaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A robust market undergoing major reshaping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
With 6,200 superyachts over 30 metres currently in operation, the industry is displaying strong health. Francesca Webster, Editor-in-Chief of SuperYacht Times, tempers this positive picture: \u201cBy the end of the year, transaction volumes had surpassed 2024 levels, with total sales and overall gross tonnage significantly higher than in previous years,\u201d following a hesitant first half marked by geopolitical uncertainty. Beyond sheer volume, it is the very nature of the market that is evolving: longer decision-making cycles, more complex projects, and the integration of environmental criteria from the design stage onward. \u201cWe are seeing a growing awareness among owners. Vessel sustainability is becoming a key factor,\u201d she notes. The market is shifting toward large-scale projects, particularly in the segment above 80 metres, while refit activities continue to confirm their strategic importance, generating an economic impact of \u20ac5.6 billion. \u201cSeventy-one percent of this amount comes from indirect activities,\u201d Webster specifies, highlighting the ripple effect on local economies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201c5Ds\u201d redefine the economic horizon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Maximilian Kunkel, Chief Investment Officer at UBS, frames his forward-looking analysis around five major dynamics: demography, deglobalisation, decarbonisation, digitalisation, and debt. \u201cThe way we work, where we work, our professional activities, and our consumption patterns – everything is changing,\u201d he explains. Taken together, these forces generate both tensions and opportunities, where productivity gains can help offset constraints on growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2035 horizon is now shaping today\u2019s strategic decisions. Dr. Nathalie Hilmi delivers a clear message: \u201cEnvironmental regulation is no longer a future concern. It has become a structural economic driver. Emissions are no longer an external cost – they are turning into a financial liability that directly impacts operating margins.\u201d In an industry where new-build construction represents \u20ac20 billion, adapting to regulatory standards has become a strategic imperative. Txema Rubio of the MB92 Group confirms this shift: \u201cBy 2035, yachting will be shaped as much by how we modernise the existing fleet as by what we build next.\u201d Marnix Hoekstra of Vripack illustrates this transformation with Project Zero, a zero-emissions monohull combining thermal, solar, and wind energy. \u201cI believe sustainability is the greatest design challenge of our generation,\u201d he states, before outlining this visionary project in which \u201ceverything that requires heat comes from our thermal system, and everything that needs electricity comes from our battery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/yachtclass.mc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/18\u1d49-Symposium-Economique-4-700x467.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nInnovation born of constraint<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Strength in unity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n