First World Foiling Congress concludes in Genoa
by We Are Foiling 19 Apr 2024 21:24 NZST
18 April 2024
Marco Bucci - Mayor of Genoa © Martina Orsini / WeAreFoiling Media
The first World Foiling Congress, conceived and produced by The Foiling Organization, has just ended. 220 professionals from 16 countries, most of them already members of the Organization, attended the event.
11 discussion panels, led by 25 international experts and coordinated by The Foiling Organization's Board of Directors, covered topics such as insurance, certification, laws and regulations, intellectual property protection, global market data and trends, industry promotion, market access, safety, research and innovation.
The City of Genoa expressed its appreciation and public recognition of the initiative by granting its High Patronage. The Department of Facilities, Sports Activities and Tourism included the World Foiling Congress among the official events of the "Genoa 2024 Sports Capital" program.
Before his speech on the Congress stage, the Mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci, told our microphones: "I am extremely pleased and satisfied that an international conference on foiling, the new way of going to sea, has been held in Genoa. It is a technological novelty that will be able to give great business developments in the future, not to forget the applications to local public transport. For cities integrated with the sea like ours, foiling will guarantee considerable savings in terms of energy, consumption, and even time. There is a bright future ahead of us, also thanks to foiling."
In the morning, the Councillor for Facilities, Sports Activities and Tourism, Alessandra Bianchi, welcomed the event and its participants in her opening speech. The institutional moments were completed with a speech by Stefano Pagani Isnardi, Director of the Projects Office of Confindustria Nautica (which patronized the initiative) and a welcome by Mauro Ferrando, President of Porto Antico.
Luca Rizzotti, Founder and President of The Foiling Organization, explained to the audience the guidelines and programs of the association, which aims to be a strategic reference point for the world foiling industry. From its headquarters in Genoa, The Foiling Organization will develop and implement projects to support the activities of all professional entities involved in foiling, the new formula of nautical mobility that already offers astonishing advantages in terms of sustainability and comfort. "Becoming a member of The Foiling Organization means becoming part of a flywheel of technological, regulatory and promotional exchange. A wealth of information that it would be unprofitable to let slip through our fingers." says Rizzotti.
During the conference, The Foiling Organization announced three initiatives: the first, starting in 2025, concerning the organization of a Foiling Expo initially dedicated to B2B with a focus on public transport; the second, concerning the collaboration with the Department of Mobility for the realization of a study concerning the implementation of public foiling transport in the Municipality of Genoa; and finally, the launch of an Open-Source academic research project involving universities and maritime research centers in order to significantly reduce the risk of collision between floating 'objects' and boats.
Today in the evening, the seventh edition of the Foiling Awards will be on stage to prize the best foiling athletes, projects and products of the past twelve months.
Many of the participants had the opportunity to meet informally during the networking cocktail held yesterday in the Porto Antico area. Tomorrow there will be the opportunity to visit some of the facilities of the Genova nautical compound, such as the Sangiorgio Marine shipyard and the Italian Institute of Technology, where the Pavis, Quantum Sails and iCub facility presentations will take place.
The Foiling Organization wishes to thank all those who have contributed to the success of the event.
More information at foiling.org