Cristiana Pagni, President of Italian Blue Growth: “We are already thinking about 2027”
La Spezia – Time to catch our breath and start again towards the 2027 edition of Seafuture: “We are already working on the next dates”. To ShipMag Cristiana Pagni, president of Italian Blue Growth, draws up the balance sheet of the 2025 edition which brought 25 thousand visitors and other record numbers aiming “for the rediscovery of the sea by involving all the sector’s protagonists”, she further explains.
Let’s draw up a balance sheet of this edition, what was the common thread?
“The common thread is the sea as the central element analyzed in all its declinations and through different levels: with Seafuture we have created a meeting platform between big players, medium-sized enterprises, research centers and Universities. We wanted to understand the sea as an opportunity for development and a driver to create business, innovation and research. The sea is an important asset to preserve”.
What are the numbers for this edition?
“We had 25 thousand visitors, 370 companies, representations from 80 countries, 150 speakers in the various panels, 170 accredited journalists and over 4000 meetings in an exhibition area of almost 55 thousand square meters. These are significant numbers that must be enhanced”.
How did the idea for Seafuture come about?
“Simply from the desire to celebrate the sea by bringing together all the various protagonists of the sector with equal importance: we wanted to give a voice to every reality, starting from the importance represented by the defense sector. Perhaps not everyone knows it, but it is the true engine of innovation: all research in this sector has immediate repercussions in the civilian sphere, from biomedical to automotive, allowing companies to make an important technological leap”.
What is the relationship with the city of La Spezia?
“Besides the fact that it is my city and I love it deeply, I believe that if Seafuture is considered a unicum in the international landscape, it is precisely because it is held in La Spezia, inside the Maritime Military Arsenal, on the sea. Now we also have the National Underwater Pole here, which is a rare example in Italy of collaboration between public demand, research, innovation and industrial applications. I am convinced, also because of all this, that in the not too distant future, Spezia could become one of the world capitals of the Blue Economy.”.
A lot of controversy accompanied this edition due to what was happening in Gaza: what is your response?
“I only say this: I believe that many people do not know exactly what Seafuture represents and what message it wants to give. And they didn’t know it since the first edition in 2009”.
What could be the new features for 2027?
“We are already working to identify the next dates, we will decide the right window also based on the international calendar, although the idea is to replicate this year’s period. For the future, we would like to further strengthen the collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport on the theme of security. In this edition, for example, we hosted, in addition to Deputy Minister Rixi, the Secretary of Transportation for the State of California: our goal for the future is to establish an even closer relationship with the Mit”.
