Vitelli (Azimut Benetti) hopes for the downward diffusion of technology to reduce emissions

Milan – Giovanna Vitelli, President of Azimut Benetti, won the 27th edition of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. During the awards ceremony held at the Italian Stock Exchange's Palazzo Mezzanotte headquarters, she reiterated to SUPER YACHT 24 her vision of the Group's innovation and sustainability and the challenges of the future, which include expanding the company's base to include production vessels, not just superyachts.

I'm happy for the company and especially for our people. The award is also very meaningful from a personal perspective. I've taken over the reins of this wonderful company from such a father who, we might remember, is the greatest innovator in the nautical industry of the last 50 years. It's therefore a responsibility and an honor, and I'm trying to maintain continuity in the guiding principles he left us, which ultimately lie in the concept of innovation, doing things differently, and ensuring that boats are the expression of an ever-changing story, a sense of and anticipation of what today's new consumers want. We live in an era of transition and great change. I see a progressive generational shift, and so boats, which for so many decades have remained somewhat unchanged, are also evolving. We've made our small contribution to changing the paradigm of onboard space and the way we experience them, and we've done so despite all the challenges we know exist in our sector as well as in other sectors, and with a great commitment to reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

What does it mean to be here in the temple of finance?

“It's an institutional recognition, and since we're not part of this club of listed companies, it ultimately rewards us for our substance, not just for belonging to a certain world.”

You also won "for inspiring technological change and sustainability-focused projects." Which of these aspects did you push for the most?

"The key is having developed, alongside a forward-looking R&D department, the best possible solutions to make a difference today in reducing emissions. We're talking about 20 or 30 percent; with the Seadeck series, we expect to achieve a reduction of as much as 40 percent in average use. Results are starting to show, and, more importantly, they're tangible. We already have boats in the water today, and I repeat, they're starting to make this challenge felt."

And the challenge for the future?

Broaden this base, ensure that these technological solutions are increasingly widespread and scalable, therefore on many units. The challenge is to do this not only on large Benettis, but also on more mass-produced boats, therefore smaller models, and try to produce large volumes and not just a few boats for a lucky few. And at the same time try to objectify these measurements. I strongly believe in the attempt to have measurement indices, third-party entities that certify consumption to give this sector a professionalism that is recognizable from the outside. When we buy a washing machine, we immediately understand the level of energy efficiency; we should also move towards this immediate recognition of the result for the consumer. We therefore support the indices, and in particular the Sea Index. We have focused even more on the world of small boats so that we can start discussing these issues. We have begun to have consumption certified by Lloyd's Register, with which we have developed a protocol to develop tests that take into account various parameters and are therefore comparable. The goal is to showcase this data and develop a practice of publishing and comparing it to generate good best practices”.

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