The General Council appoints Piero Formenti as President of the Italian Marine Industry Association

Piero Formenti © Confindustria Nautica

During yesterday's meeting, on 28th April 2025, the General Council of the Italian Marine Industry Association put forward Piero Formenti as the Association's designated President for the four-year period lasting from 2025 to 2029.

• The first president to represent the small boating industry, Formenti's appointment will be ratified at the Association Members' Meeting on 16th May.
• Piero Formenti's programme will focus on the enhancement of the supply chain as a whole, the development of business culture, the promotion of made in Italy products, the strengthening of representative activities and of the Genoa International Boat Show, and the promotion of boating and maritime culture.

The election will be formally ratified by the General Members' Assembly, which will meet on 16th May during the traditional Spring SATEC Convention, scheduled this year to be held in Rapallo.

Mr. Formenti is the first President to represent the Small Boating Industry in the history of the Italian Marine Industry Association and has gathered widespread approval from throughout the various Sector Assemblies that make up the Association.

The appointment, as envisaged by the Italian Marine Industry Association Statute, represents the conclusive expression following the consultation activity coordinated by the Appointment Commission, conducted in accordance with the Association's statutory and regulatory protocol and in strict compliance with Confederation of Industry regulations. The consultation recorded a significant participation on behalf of member companies (with a turnout of 79.04%) and votes cast (94.64%).

Piero Formenti has been the owner of Zar Formenti since 1979, a company he founded and which specialises in the construction of high-quality inflatable units. Within the Italian Marine Industry Association, Mr. Formenti has been a Director since 2008 and, since 2019, he has held the position of Vice President. He is Vice-Chair of EBI - European Boating Industry, the federation that represents the boating industry in Brussels, where he has also covered the role of President for two consecutive terms (2015-2017 and 2017-2019).

"My deep-rooted experience from working within the Association has given me a unified vision of the industry, which I intend to place at the heart of my mandate, putting myself at the disposal of all those who make up our supply chain. The fact I come from the Small Boating Industry segment is a testament to the compact nature and maturity of the boatbuilding sector, which is now called upon to address issues such as innovation, the green economy, relaunching the domestic market, regulatory simplification, and approaching the next generation, at a time when the economic contingency is particularly penalising towards small manufacturers and the domestic market," stated Formenti.

Among Piero Formenti's priorities for his term as President of the Italian Marine Industry Association are:

• an increasingly effective and engaging representation of the various segments of the supply chain.
• the promotion of business culture, supporting the quality and excellence that is Made in Italy production.
• the strengthening of regulatory lobbying activities, to protect the sector's interests at a national and international level.
• the promotion and enhancement of the Genoa International Boat Show as a world-class event.
• the promotion of maritime culture and boating, and of professional industry training opportunities for younger generations.
• backing labour policies aimed at supporting the various business segments.