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The first ever international blue economy summit comes to Genoa, 16–19 November

Registration is now officially open for BEST – The Blue Economy Summit & Trade Show, the international event dedicated to the blue economy, taking place in Genoa from Monday 16 to Thursday 19 November 2026 at the Blue Pavilion – Jean Nouvel Pavilion, at the Waterfront di Levante. Attendance is free, but registration via the event's official website is required.

Promoted by Blue Media, the MSC Group company active in media, publishing and events, BEST aims to become a leading platform for dialogue and development in the Blue Economy, bringing together businesses, institutions, experts, and professionals from Italy and abroad.

The four-days event will combine a conference programme featuring more than 30 sessions, including plenaries, focus sessions and workshops, with a vast 20,000 sq. m exhibition area. Conferences, panels, and presentations will provide participants with opportunities to gain new insights, exchange views and network, as well as to develop new partnerships.

BEST is designed for a broad audience spanning maritime and port operators, industrial and technology companies, shipping lines, energy businesses, universities, research centres, institutions, and professionals across the entire value chain. Its goal is to foster dialogue among the different sectors of the Blue Economy and create new business opportunities, while highlighting the role of innovation and expertise.

The programme is structured around three main areas – Shipping, Ports and Logistics; Coastal and Maritime Tourism; Cross-Cutting Factors – following a journey from the international scenario to the conditions needed to support the sector's growth. Bringing together international speakers, the programme will seek to chart the course for growth of a sector that in Italy is now worth €224.9 billion, or 11.4% of national GDP, and involves over 253,000 businesses and 1.1 million workers . These figures confirm the Blue Economy as a structural component of Italy’s economy, capable of attracting investment and generate benefits across the entire value chain.

Following the opening ceremony, the first day will focus on the strategic landscape, looking at the role of the Mediterranean in evolving geopolitical and trade dynamics, maritime transport, and shipbuilding, as well as marine protection and sustainability. Europe remains at the heart of this system, with 90% of EU external trade travelling by sea and the Mediterranean serving as a strategic hub in the logistics network that supports the main global trade corridors.

The discussion will then turn to the transformations reshaping the sector, with particular focus to the energy transition and environmental sustainability: from the adoption of new fuels to the development of shore power and greater efficiency of fleets and ports. The aim is to understand how these developments can translate into greater competitiveness.

Attention will also be given to passengers and maritime tourism, an area in which Italy holds a leading position in Europe. The latest available data record 417.8 million passengers handled at EU ports, with Italy ranking first at 93.5 million, representing 22.4% of the European total . These figures confirm the strategic importance of passenger traffic and of coastal and maritime tourism for the national economy, while bringing into focus the need to develop policies and solutions that support their growth in a way that is sustainable, competitive and integrated with local communities.

Finally, the programme will address the cross-cutting factors that can support the growth of the entire ecosystem: finance and insurance, infrastructure and investment, skills, and training, bringing the needs of businesses together with those of the public sector and local communities. The goal is to offer an integrated view of the Blue Economy, not as a sum of separate sectors, but as a strategic, interconnected value chain capable of generating value, jobs, and innovation, and of strengthening Italy's position in the Mediterranean.

The agenda, which is continuously updated, is available online: LINK
Entry to BEST and its sessions are free. To attend and find out how to register, visit events.blueconomy.com/best

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