BOATING REMAINS A KEY SECTOR FOR MADE IN ITALY INDUSTRY

BOATING REMAINS A KEY SECTOR FOR MADE IN ITALY INDUSTRY: OVER €13 BILLION IN ADDED VALUE AND 168,000 JOBS

Market reports "La Nautica in Cifre Monitor - Trend 2025/2026" and "Geografie della Filiera Nautica Italiana 2026" presented in Milan

The Italian boating industry remains one of the most essential manufacturing sectors bearing the Made in Italy brand in terms of economic impact, employment and activation capacity along the value chain. In 2024, the sector generated over €13 billion in added value and employed approximately 168,000 people, marking an employment growth rate of 5.6%.

This is the scenario that emerges from the two new reports presented today in Milan at Palazzo Edison: "La Nautica in Cifre Monitor - Trend 2025/2026" ("Boating in Figures Monitor - Market Trends 2025/2026"), produced jointly by Confindustria Nautica - Italian Marine Industry Association's Research Department and Fondazione Edison, and "Geografie della Filiera Nautica Italiana 2026" ("Geography of the Italian Boating Supply Chain 2026"), edited by Fondazione Symbola.

The two analyses paint a clear picture of structural consolidation across the Italian boatbuilding sector and of a competitive strengthening of the supply chain as a whole, set against a constantly evolving international background.

Monitor 2025/2026: market trends and competitive positioning

"La Nautica in Cifre Monitor - Trend 2025/2026" represents the only statistical reference source tailored to this sector and provides a timely update on market trends, production dynamics and the international positioning of Italian boating.

Following the opening remarks by Beatrice Biagetti, Secretary General of Fondazione Edison, the President of Confindustria Nautica, Piero Formenti, emphasised:

"Today's event sets in motion a year of initiatives through which Confindustria Nautica intends to offer our sector dedicated analyses and strategic guidance. Operating within a global context marked by significant economic and geopolitical change, the Italian recreational boating industry continues to demonstrate solidity, adaptability and strategic vision. The dynamics differ between segments: large boats are following an upward trend, the mid-range is holding steady, while small boats are more affected by consumer confidence, currently dampened by complex economic conditions. The data published by our Research Department are an essential tool that allows companies and institutions to interpret such developments and guide the sector's strategies."

Stefano Pagani Isnardi, Head of the Confindustria Nautica Research Department, illustrated the primary economic indicators and the sector's prospects for growth, confirming Italy's consolidated leadership in the high-end boatbuilding sector and the supply chain's overall resilience.

The superyacht sector - following a positive close to 2025, with 50% of companies recording an increase in turnover compared to the previous year and 25% recording stability - shows reports of stabilising growth rates in current order books. Half of the shipyards report an alignment of order books with the same levels as 12 months ago, and a quarter of these also report growth. This trend is confirmed by Boat International and its Superyacht Global Order Book 2026 which, despite a reduction in global orders of around 4% (from 1,138 to 1,093), sees the Italian market share increase by 2 points to 52%, with total units reaching 568 orders.

The situation for boatbuilding up to 24 metres, on the other hand, reveals a more complex scenario. While estimates for the end of 2025 expected a general trend towards contraction, the latest survey reveals more positive trends for the 2025/26 boating year, with an increase in the number of companies forecasting growth in turnover, from 23% to 46%, reducing the possibility of a decline in turnover to less than a quarter of the sample.

This recovery in productivity for units measuring up to 24 metres is confirmed by data describing the recreational unit sales network segment. Following 2025 closing with negative forecasts for 62% of the sample and stability for the remaining 38%, operators are setting higher expectations for the current boating year. The sample share setting negative predictions has, in fact, fallen by 25 points to 37%, while the share of those expecting stability has risen to 50% and 13% of companies expect turnover figures to grow.

As seen in 2024, for companies operating in the accessories and equipment segment, the wide variety of product types and sales destinations (superyachts, small boats, aftersales) leads to significant differentiation in results. Estimates for the 2025/26 boating year are broadly similar to 2025, in terms of how the responses are spread across the segments, with the exception of a significant increase in positive responses, which have risen from 30% to 39%.

As for the marine engine segment, sentiment for the current boating year shows improved expectations: the percentage of the sample predicting growth in turnover has, in fact, expanded from 25% to 38%, while the percentage of those expecting stability remains at 50%.

Charter and rental companies report satisfactory results for 2025, with 57% of the sample reporting growth in turnover, compared to 29% reporting a contraction compared to the previous year, albeit limited to -10%. Sentiment for the current boating year appears very positive, with 64% of respondents expecting a positive turnover trend, 29% expecting previous levels to continue and only 7% expecting a possible reduction. The overall scenario thus confirms the strategic role played by the ongoing regulatory simplification process, which amplifies the positive impact that rental and charter services have on tourism, even beyond coastal areas.

With regards to companies active in the nautical tourism, marinas and services segment, expectations for the current boating year appear decidedly positive, with 75% of companies estimating growth in turnover (up 25% compared to expectations for the end of 2025). The share of companies expecting a negative trend for turnover remains essentially unchanged: 12% for the 2025/2026 boating year, compared to the 13% recorded in the preliminary figures for 2025. These figures also confirm the growth trends reported in the statistical survey conducted by Italy's Marinas Association and Confindustria Nautica member Assomarinas in September 2025.

The impact of exogenous factors on the sector's performance and export prospects

As part of the survey, companies also identified the exogenous factors that had the greatest impact on the sector's performance. Among the various factors analysed, political tensions are reported to be the most disruptive element. High interest rates, along with labour costs, are also considered to be significantly relevant. Despite the gradual reduction in criticalities over recent seasons, stock levels are still confirmed to be a central problem for many operators.

In this same context, the global export boom of the Italian boatbuilding sector is clearly the most significant factor driving the growth trend of recent years.

"The Italian recreational boating industry," stated Marco Fortis, Vice President of Fondazione Edison, scientific partner of the report "La Nautica in Cifre", "ranks among the top exporters worldwide and is increasingly affirming its role as one of the spearheads of our foreign trade: in the last rolling year (November 2024-October 2025) exports reached and exceeded €4 billion, achieving one of the greatest results ever recorded and confirming its position as one of the sectors with the highest growth rates of the last decade (fifth overall, considering Italian sectors with exports in 2024 exceeding €2 billion)".

Prof. Fortis then concluded by underlining how, in the current geopolitical context, the boating industry, a reality that remains stable despite international dynamics, must safeguard its current traditional market shares.

The most important commitment is thus to maintain the high standards of excellence achieved in a sector that has made excellence its hallmark and that accounts for over 50% of the global market. Achieving this requires exceptional efficiency and quality, not only to meet customer expectations but also to ensure greater operational freedom and stronger margins.

The geography of the supply chain: economic impact and multiplier

"The boating system is one of the most dynamic segments of the economy," commented Symbola Foundation Director Domenico Sturabotti, "and is one of the most important manufacturing supply chains in Italy in terms of economic impact and activation capacity along the value chain. This leadership has been built on a first-rate production network, spread throughout the territory, integrated upstream and downstream of the supply chain.

In 2024, as shown in the report "Geografie della Filiera Nautica Italiana 2026" ("Geography of the Italian Boating Supply Chain 2026") by Fondazione Symbola and Confindustria Nautica, the sector will generate over €13 billion in added value and employ approximately 168,000 people, achieving an employment growth rate of 5.6%. Boatbuilding is heavily concentrated in key regions (Tuscany, Lombardy, Marche, Liguria, Campania, Piedmont, Sicily and Lazio), which represent centres of specialisation and expertise.

The boating industry continues to act as a powerful economic multiplier: for every euro produced by boatyards, a total of €5.2 in added value is generated, and for every employee in the core of the industry, 7.1 jobs are generated throughout the entire supply chain. At the same time, the report shows a growing concentration of value in boat manufacturing compared to the rest of the supply chain. This particular dynamic reflects a structural strengthening of the boatbuilding sector, supported by a process of selective concentration that rewards the most solid operators and a progressive increase in the weight of core activities, with the growing internalisation of strategic functions and phases with higher added value. This growth is closely linked to the ability to form a functioning system and invest constantly in quality, innovation and sustainability, all of which are decisive levers when it comes to consolidating the sector's international leadership.