The very first Italian Yacht Design Conference takes place on June 16 at the Politecnico di Milano. Organised by AsProNaDi and POLI.design, it has attracted a slew of leading Italian and international naval designers
What makes a great boat? How important are ideas? Who actually conceives products? How are relatively low-cost boat builds industrialised effectively? At a time when the market is demanding big personalities and big names from craft of all sizes as well as driving evolution in industrial production processes, debate is essential.
The first edition of the Italian Design Conference takes place at the Milano Bovisa campus of the Milan Politecnico on Thursday, June 16. Its aims are to discuss the relationship between design studios, clients and the industry and investigate the role played by innovation and the development of practical content. The event is organised by AsProNaDi, the pleasure craft designer representative organisation, and POLI.design, the Politecnico di Milano Consortium committed to the education of new talent through its Master in Yacht Design.
“We are delighted with the interest not just from the public but also the speakers who very much feel that the contemporary nautical design debate is their domain,” declared AsProNaDi president Giovanni Ceccarelli. “Our Association wants to play an active role too by introducing new cultural content”.
Andrea Ratti, head of the Politecnico di Milano’s Masters in Yacht Design, added: “This is the 15th time we’ve run our Masters which is now attended by students from all over the world. We are convinced that quality education and training is fundamental to the growth of the sector and thus we feel it our duty to promote initiatives like this”.
Also present at the event will leading protagonists on the contemporary pleasure yacht design scene: former BMW designer Chris Bangle, who is now working with Sanlorenzo, also represented by Massimo Perotti, Wally founder Luca Bassani, Lorenzo Argento, Giovanni Ceccarelli, Aldo Cichero, Luca Dini, Umberto Felci, Gianguido Girotti, product development director for the Bénéteau Group, Franco Gnessi, Massimo Gregori, Maurizio Navone, Massimo Paperini, Marijana Radovic, Luis Felipe Rocco, Andrea Vallicelli and Gianni Zuccon.
With the support of Boero YachtCoatings, leading Italian and foreign nautical design names will debate the following themes over two sessions: “Innovation, Big Names and Marketing’ and ‘New Forms and dimensions, new comfort’.
