Organized by Varador 2000, Barcelona Clúster Nàutic and Daevi
In the facilities of Mataró Marina Barcelona
Close to fifty companies have participated in the 1st Refit Conference, which has taken place in Mataró Marina Barcelona under the organization of the Barcelona Clúster Nàutic, Daevi and Varador 2000, with the aim of generating a debate to detect the needs and challenges of this sector in order to boost its growth.
Directed towards professionals linked to the maintenance and repair of boats, the meeting has strengthened training and networking in this sector, and has also facilitated a dialogue between business and administration, as the event was attended by the manager of Ports de Catalunya, Joan Pere Gómez.After the welcome to the meeting, done by the mayor of Mataró, David Bote, the first round table was helded, under the title “Present andfuture of the refit sector in Catalonia”, where the president of Barcelona Clúster Nàutic, Toni Tió, apart from the representative of Ports and the CEO of Varador 2000, Xiqui Mas.
Tió has asked for the colaboration of the administration in order to consolidate this sector as an economic engine of Catalonia, a petition Gómez has taken note of. “The nautical sector is an economic motor and I am aware of that, in the towns, the company that creates more employment is always the port”, has confirmed, while it has posed as environmental challenges the environmental sustainability, the dual training and the promotion of the charter in order to fill marinas and technical areas throughout the year. Mas, for his part, has stressed that the activity is growing and that in order tot follow this rhythm is necessary to promote specialized training in the sector.
The second round table it has focused precisely on training and the training needs of the sector, with the director of the Institut de Nàutica de Barcelona, Feliu López Vidal, and the l coordinator of the CFGM of the Manteniment embarcacions esportives i d’esbarjo of the Institut Miquel Biada of Mataró, Sergi Novo. According to López, the training responds to a part of the needs of the companies, although it is true thet the catalog should be expanded with more specialized training. “We have zero unemployment and we have high demand of companies that want to host dual education students, so the balance is positive, and we look forward to the development of the professional training law of 2015 in order to offer a broader catalog of training”, has added the representative of the Institut de Nàutica. Novo has agreed and stressed the need to extend the hours to the dual FP company so that students can specialize more.
Jotun has been in charge of the training paper “The new regulations on anti-fouling”, by Gemma González, Yachting Concept Director, and Eduardo Díaz, Senior Technical Support Yachting. The representatives of this multinational of paintings have shed light on the new regulations in biocides, the substances that prevent life from growing in this case on the hull of the ship, and stressed the need to combine protection and aesthetics in the anti-fouling, which represent a very important part of the refining sector.
The director of marketing and communication of Daevi, Eli Martín, has presented the paper “Advantages of using the cover in the refit”. “It is better to prevent it than to cure it, it is worth more to protect than to clean it,” Martín explained in relation to the protection products for refit work they produce and market.
The talk “3D printing arrives to the refit sector”, by the technical director of Eceleni, Eloy Bautista, has adressed the possibilities of introducing this new technology in this industry to make some of the spare parts necessary for the repair of boats. Bautista has clarified that 3D printing represents a revolution, since it allows to manufacture pieces that may no longer be for sale and also with sustainable and biodegradable materials, although it can not solve everything.
Apart from the training, the networking has been an important of the 1st Refit Conference. The participants could take the microphone to present their company and the services they offer, and so the networking space has been more beneficial and efficient.
At the close of the 1st Refit Conference, thepresident of the Consorci de Promoció Turística Costa del Maresme, Joaquim Arnó, emphasized the need to promote nautical bases in the Maresme, halfway between Barcelona and the Costa Brava, and he also stressed the importance of specialized training to boost the sector.
The captain of Mataró Marina Barcelona, Ignasi Bendicho, has taken charge of the farewell, who thanked the organization of the 1st Refit Conference in the capital of the Maresme, in facilities designed and designed to meet the needs of large ships.
