Uncharted Waters: A Dive into the Future of Yachting with Europe's Top Shipyards' Executives

There’s no dearth of voices claiming to predict the market’s future trajectory. Industry consultants, brokers, project managers, journalists, and owners’ representatives, all opine freely. The perspective that tends to get lost in the noise, however ironically, is that of the very people who steer the shipyards. Therefore, nine of Europe’s leading shipyard executives have been asked to cut through the noise and state their own, more rooted perspectives. The result is a collective diagnosis and a barometer for the current new-build landscape.

Their responses who represent reputed shipyards like Royal Huisman, Damen Yachting, Feadship, Palumbo, Sanlorenzo, Azimut Benetti, Ferretti, Abeking and Rasmussen, and Bilgin, converge on certain themes. The past two to three years have seen these yards reorganize and transform. Facility redesigns, digital tools, and closer integration between engineering and production, along with a strict bias against late-stage revisions – all are part of this transformation.

While orders continue to fly in, the demands of the customers have evolved. They are increasingly driven by their on-board experiences rather than just the vessel itself. Purpose, sustainability, and adventure have become more important design drivers than ever.

The leaders are not enthused about explosive growth. Instead, their focus is on delivering quality, increasing credibility, and staying relevant to a new generation of owners. In the words of Rose Damen, Managing Director of Damen Yachting, the market’s future will be defined by ‘what is delivered,’ not by ‘how much is delivered.’

Insights from other shipyard CEOs are to be published in the coming days. They promise to provide deeper insights into the future of the yachting industry, and this series of interviews is expected to serve as the guiding compass for industry stakeholders.