More than 500 companies make up a Catalan nautical sector with 1,028 million in turnover

More than 500 companies with a turnover of 1,028 million euros and 4,000 jobs. This is the radiography of the Catalan nautical sector, which identifies that 50% of the turnover comes from industrial activity, linked to areas such as shipyards and new construction dry docks, as well as auxiliary industry.

Several of the companies that make up this nautical ecosystem are linked to sustainability, from initiatives such as engineering specialized in the energy efficiency of boats and manufacturers of solutions that allow storing energy or promoting alternative fuels, according to a study.

The analysis, commissioned to Cluster Development, has been carried out within the framework of the decarbonization of leisure boats project promoted by Acció, the Fundació Barcelona Capital Nàutica and Barcelona Activa. Based on this report, working groups will be established with different actors and companies in the sector in order to draw up an action plan to improve the competitiveness of the sector, which has been invigorated as a result of the America's Cup and the city's commitment to the blue economy and nautical.

Thus, this is one of the projects linked to the legacy that the America's Cup will leave in the city. To this, initiatives are added ranging from urban transformations such as that of Port Vell and that of Port Olímpic, to projects such as the new Vela per a tothom, an adapted sailing program that aims to make sailing accessible to people with functional diversity.

Promoted by the Catalan Sailing Federation, the Mi Alex Foundation and Barcelona Capital Nàutica, the program includes several axes, which involve training, support for athletes with functional diversity and collaboration with nautical clubs.

The initiative, which has the support of the America's Cup organization, also plans to create an adapted sailing school and train specialized technicians. According to the CEO of America's Cup Event and the New Zealand team, Grant Dalton, the program will contribute to spreading sailing as a "transformative experience that promotes equality and inclusion."