1st ICOMIA Boating Industry Conference met with enthusiasm

Singapore’s ONE°15 Marina was the venue for the first International Council of Marine Industry Associations’ (ICOMIA) Boating Industry Conference which took place from April 23-24 in Sentosa Cove. The conference was held in conjunction with the Singapore Yachting Festival, also taking place at Sentosa Cove from April 25-28.

The focus of the conference was on sustainability, referencing the report ‘Pathways into Propulsion Decarbonisation in the Recreational Marine Industry’ produced by ICOMIA late last year. The conference was attended by 170 delegates from across the Asia marine industry, a credible number for a first-time event. They came to hear a packed program with the first day comprising presentations on the environment, sustainability, and green mobility.

Arthur Tay, chairman and founder of ONE°15 Marina, welcomed the participants and briefed the delegates about ONE°15 Marina’s commitment to environmental stewardship. ICOMIA president Darren Vaux was first up as keynote speaker, giving an overview of ICOMIA’s study on ‘Pathways to Propulsion - Decarbonisation in the Recreational Marine Industry’.

Guest of Honour for the conference was Teo Eng Dih, chief executive of the Maritime & Port Authority, with a presentation focused on the advances under way in the marine industry in Singapore.

A highlight of the morning’s presentations was ‘Sustainable Propulsion Systems, technological advancements in sustainable mobility’ by Dr Grant Suzuki PhD, Chief of Technology Advanced Marine Systems, Yamaha Motor Corporation, and two of his colleagues. This was a rare and fascinating opportunity to understand the work that Yamaha are doing in three directions in marine propulsion sustainability. This will be covered in more detail in IBI’s Pulse edition tomorrow (Friday 26 April).

Further sessions of the first day covered ‘Maritime Singapore’s Decarbonisation Initiatives’ by Ng Bingrong for the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore. ‘Green Mobility for Sustainable Cities’ by Singapore companies Haphicraft and the Kinetic Option, followed by a session on Ocean Stewardship and Clean Boating.

Oscar Siches presented the ‘ISO Experience’, being comfortable with standards in marina management and operations, and moderated a discussion on ‘The Pivot towards Sustainability’.

On Day 2, the conference changed direction for the final half day, which focussed on four tools for developing the boating markets in Asia:

• ‘Setting Sail for the Boating Life’ There are many compelling reasons to get on the water. Aside from investing in a boat, there is a range of entry points and business models to enjoy or begin the boating lifestyle such as subscription-shared access, yacht charters, static charters, fractional ownership. A moderated discussion led by Dr Jouko Huju, past president of ICOMIA
• ‘The Economic Value of Boating’ Marine leisure creates tangible economic value and transformative benefits for local communities. Understanding this provides pertinent information to discuss with governments when trying to improve the business environment. A moderated discussion led by Maryanne Edwards
• ‘Advocacy in Asia: Boating on the Agenda’ The recreational marine sector is challenged by the lack of inclusion in discussions involving policy and regulations. In a diverse region, no one-size-fits-all. How does Industry get a seat at the table? A moderated discussion that was led by Darren Vaux, ICOMIA president
• ‘Collaborative Engagement in Asia’ Continued engagement among the Marine Industry organisations In the region is a key to understanding Asia’s challenges and opportunities. A discussion on the fundamentals for industry development and strategies for Asia, including key takeaways from the conference moderated by Joe Lynch, ICOMIA CEO

Darren Vaux confirmed with IBI that the conference is to be a long-term annual event at selected global locations.