To mark Top Yacht Design’s twentieth anniversary, we met Giorgio Mattei, vice-president of Next Yacht Group, to explore the strategic vision guiding the group and the evolution of its two brands, Maiora and AB Yachts. In this interview, he explains how identity, innovation and design culture can coexist whilst respecting the unique characteristics of each brand, shaping a new concept of luxury that is increasingly focused on the quality of the experience, the spaces and the relationship with the sea.
Next Yacht Group is a young organisation that embodies the DNA of historic brands such as Maiora and AB Yachts. How has the formation of the group redefined the strategic vision of these two brands, whilst keeping their distinct identities intact?
‘The formation of Next Yacht Group has not changed the identity of Maiora and AB Yachts; it has made it clearer. This is something I consider fundamental because, when working with brands that have decades of history behind them, the risk is not losing the past, but oversimplifying it. We have chosen a different approach: to study each brand’s DNA in depth to understand its essence and enable it to express that essence even more effectively. Over the years, we have realised that Maiora and AB Yachts should not converge towards a single identity, but evolve along two distinct and complementary paths.
Maiora has strengthened its role as the embodiment of a form of luxury rooted in wellbeing and a connection to the sea, stemming from the quality of the space, the liveability on board, and the balanced relationship between naval architecture and comfort. AB Yachts, on the other hand, has consolidated its commitment to innovation, the pursuit of performance and technological experimentation applied to sailing, to offer vessels with unrivalled performance. The Group’s role has been to create a common ground built on expertise, investment, industrial capacity and design culture, whilst allowing each brand to express its own character with even greater precision and a more recognisable voice. The brands have not become more similar; they have become more true to themselves. I believe this is the true sign of maturity for an industrial group: not to construct a single, all-encompassing identity, but to create the conditions in which different identities can grow with greater coherence and self-awareness’.
What is the conceptual and stylistic ‘common thread’ that unites Maiora’s timeless elegance and generous proportions with AB Yachts’ pure performance and technological innovation?
“The common thread is not a shared style, but a shared design philosophy. We often tend to look for elements in the design that unite two brands. In reality, in our case, what unites Maiora and AB Yachts originates even before the design stage. It stems from the way we approach the project. Every yacht should start with a very simple question: how does the owner wish to experience the sea? Maiora interprets this answer through space, the continuity between interiors and exteriors, conviviality, well-being and the pleasure of experiencing sailing naturally.
AB Yachts, on the other hand, interprets it through dynamism, precision, speed and that particular emotion that arises when technology and the sea are in perfect harmony. These are two different languages that speak the same language: placing the owner at the heart of the project and giving them quality time. This is why we never seek to achieve a formal resemblance between the two brands. On the contrary, we want each to retain its own character. Our task is to ensure that behind every design choice there is always the same principle: the balance between form, function and actual use.
True elegance, in my view, stems precisely from this. Not from an aesthetic detail, but from a yacht’s ability to appear natural in the way it is lived in. When everything falls into place and every choice has a specific reason, design ceases to be mere style and becomes identity’.
As we celebrate Top Yacht Design’s 20th anniversary, we look back to understand the present. How have the exterior lines and interior design of your yachts evolved to interpret the concept of luxury as it has evolved over time?
‘In recent years, luxury has not become more ostentatious. It has become more personal. This is probably the most significant transformation that yacht design has undergone. In the past, a significant part of luxury lay in the ability to show off. Today, it is increasingly linked to the ability to make a space a pleasure to live in. The exterior lines and interiors have evolved in line with this cultural shift. Yachts have gradually become less rigid.
The boundaries between interior and exterior have blurred, glazed surfaces have increased, natural light has become a central design element, and the spaces have gained a flexibility that did not exist before. Not because it was a stylistic trend, but because the way people experience life on board has changed. Today, a yacht owner is not necessarily looking for a larger saloon. They are looking for a space that functions better. They do not simply want a larger suite.
They want a more direct connection with the sea, with the light, with their guests and with the time they spend on board. Personally, I find it fascinating to observe how design is moving ever closer to architecture. We are talking less and less about individual spaces and more and more about the relationships between them. Less and less about surfaces and more and more about perceptions. This is why I believe that true contemporary luxury lies in the quality of space and the time that space is able to create’.
Who is the Next Yacht Group yacht owner today? How have their needs and priorities changed compared to the past, particularly with regard to the use of spaces on board?
“Today’s yacht owner is profoundly different from those of the past. They are far better informed, more international, more discerning, and often enter the world of yachting after having enjoyed top-tier experiences in sectors such as hospitality, the automotive industry, property and design. They therefore bring with them highly sophisticated expectations and a keen eye for detail. But the most interesting change concerns the nature of their requests.
Today, the owner expects every design choice to have a purpose. They no longer accept solutions based solely on custom or tradition. They want to understand why a space exists, why it has been sized in a certain way, and what added value it will bring to their on-board experience. This leads to a very important consequence: spaces are no longer judged solely on their size or prestige, but on the quality of their use. Every square metre must be lived in.
This is why we are seeing a growing demand for multifunctional spaces, for areas capable of adapting to different times of the day, and for spaces that encourage social interaction without compromising privacy. From this perspective, design is becoming less and less an aesthetic discipline and increasingly a behavioural one. We design spaces by observing how people live, not simply how they wish to appear’.
How is the boatowner integrated into the shipyard’s creative and design process to ensure that every vessel becomes a unique and highly personalised piece?
“Our process does not begin by asking the owner how many cabins they want. It begins with a far more important question: ‘How do you envisage living on your boat?’ It may seem like a minor difference, but in reality it represents two completely different ways of approaching the project. The cabins, floor areas and furnishings are simply consequences. People come first.
We seek to understand their habits on board, their style of sailing, their relationship with guests, the presence of family, the desired level of privacy, and how they envisage an ideal day at sea. From this information, a sort of ‘invisible architecture’ begins to take shape, preceding the physical architecture of the yacht. At that point, designers, naval architects and engineers embark on an ongoing dialogue that transforms desires and behaviours into concrete solutions.
Customisation, in fact, does not consist of selecting finishes or options from a catalogue. That is the final step. True customisation consists of designing a vessel that reflects a specific vision of life on board. When this happens, the yacht ceases to be merely a product and becomes an extension of its owner’s personality’.
What are the cornerstones of your research in terms of technological innovation, sustainability and cutting-edge materials?
“Our research is based on three principles: useful innovation, practical sustainability and smart digitalisation. I deliberately speak of principles rather than technologies, because technologies change rapidly whilst principles should remain stable. Useful innovation means introducing solutions that genuinely enhance the on-board experience, safety, reliability or the quality of the design. We are not interested in innovation as an exercise in style.
The same applies to sustainability. We prefer to talk about concrete and measurable sustainability. The aim is not to chase slogans, but to design yachts that are more efficient, more durable and more energy-efficient. Finally, there is smart digitalisation. Artificial intelligence and digital systems are opening up extraordinary opportunities in yachting. However, they must remain tools at the service of people. The Next AI-Integrated System stems precisely from this philosophy: to make interaction with the yacht simpler, more natural and more intuitive. The most important aspect, however, is that no technology should ever take centre stage in the design. The best technology is that which is almost invisible, yet tangibly enhances the experience of the owner and the crew’.
What is the design challenge and stylistic vision that Next Yacht Group is focusing on to redefine market standards in the coming years?
“The real challenge isn’t building bigger yachts. It’s building yachts that are increasingly coherent. Coherent with the way owners live, work, travel and relate to the sea. Coherent with the evolution of technology. Coherent with a concept of luxury that is becoming increasingly personal, less ostentatious and more mindful. I believe the future of yachting hinges on the ability to integrate disciplines that for many years have been regarded as separate.
Design and engineering can no longer proceed along parallel tracks. The best innovations arise when a technical solution becomes a design opportunity and when design stimulates new engineering responses. It is precisely at this intersection that I see the future of Next Yacht Group. This will translate into new naval architectures, greater continuity between interior and exterior, advanced materials, increasingly integrated digital systems and a growing focus on the quality of the yacht’s overall experience. It will probably also result in larger vessels. But this is the consequence, not the objective.
The objective is to build yachts that retain a strong design identity and that stand the test of time without losing their relevance. Because a truly successful yacht is not one that makes an immediate impression, but one that remains coherent, balanced and desirable even many years after its launch. When form, function and use find genuine harmony, the design transcends the realm of trends and becomes an identity’.
Marta Gasparini
