Marine Impact Lab announces first speakers for Metstrade 2026

Marine Impact Lab announces first speakers for Metstrade 2026 © Metstrade

Marine Futures and Foxall Munro have announced the first wave of speakers for Marine Impact Lab 2026 to explore how marine businesses can reduce environmental impact while addressing the cost, skills and supply-chain challenges facing the sector.

The line-up includes sustainability specialist Dr Susie Tomson alongside Veda Pretorius of IFBSO and the African Boating Conference, Dr Pascal Gallo of Composite Recycling, Alessandro Stagni of nlcomp, and Paolo Manganelli of Gurit.

The discussions will explore the barriers to commercially viable composite recycling, the gap between student innovation and industrial production, and how marine businesses can set credible sustainability priorities while attracting and retaining the people needed to deliver them.

The Lab takes place on Monday 16 November at RAI Amsterdam, bringing marine industry professionals together to work on product design and organisational sustainability. It takes place the day before Metstrade, the world's most influential platform for professionals in the leisure marine industry. Following two practical workshops, participants will join expert-led Topic Tables to discuss challenges in their own businesses. The tables are open to everyone, regardless of which workshop they attend.

Dr Susie Tomson draws on her experience across the America's Cup, SailGP, World Sailing and London 2012 in "Materiality: What Matters Most, and What's Greenwashing?". Participants will explore how to balance environmental, social and financial considerations, involve stakeholders in setting priorities and turn those decisions into commitments the business can deliver.

Dr Susie Tomson said, "Materiality is about prioritisation. Whilst many factors may be important, organisations have limited time and resources and working out what to do first can become overwhelming. Materiality helps identify what is most significant so efforts can be focused on delivering the greatest impact."

In "Closing the Loop: Can Marine Composites Ever Be Truly Circular?", Dr Pascal Gallo, co-founder and chief growth officer of Composite Recycling, and Alessandro Stagni, chief technical officer at nlcomp, will explore the environmental and commercial case for recycling, life extension, reuse and higher-value recovery. The discussion will cover the design choices, infrastructure and supply-chain responsibilities needed to make these approaches viable.

Paolo Manganelli, head of engineering at Gurit, joins "Ready for Change? What the Next Generation Needs from the Marine Industry, and What the Industry Needs from Them" to explore shared testing, access to materials expertise and joint product development. The discussion will identify ways to move student prototypes into production and the graduate skills and routes into employment needed to support that work.

"The Power of People: Leadership, Inclusion & Community" brings participants together to share approaches to attracting and retaining talent, opening marine careers to a wider range of people and developing future leaders. Veda Pretorius, executive general manager of the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers (IFBSO) and conference director of the African Boating Conference, will chair the exchange, including how stronger networks can help people progress in the sector.

"For a marine business, reducing waste and making better use of materials can cut costs, protect margins and reduce exposure to volatile supply chains," said Ollie Taylor, Founder and Director of Marine Futures. "The environmental and commercial opportunities are closely connected. We want businesses to leave the Lab better equipped to identify those opportunities and act on them."

Delivered by Marine Futures, Foxall Munro and Metstrade, the Lab combines product design with organisational sustainability. 11th Hour Racing sponsors Marine Futures and Foxall Munro, whose work under the sponsorship includes supporting the Lab.

Marine Futures will lead Sustainable Design Principles using MarineShift360 and the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge's Eco Design Challenge Simulator. Foxall Munro's Selling Sustainability workshop will use The Toolbox to help participants build the business case for sustainability and put it into practice.

A second wave of Topic Table speakers is planned for October. The Lab runs from 14:00 to 17:00, followed by a networking happy hour sponsored by St. Maarten Heineken Regatta until 18:00.

Book a place at Marine Impact Lab. Registration for Metstrade 2026 is separate.

Event details

Marine Impact Lab 2026
Monday 16 November 2026
14:00 to 17:00, networking happy hour until 18:00
RAI Amsterdam
Open to Metstrade visitors
Marine Impact Lab information and booking