Sardinia Boat Show: connecting Sardinia’s nautical industry with the world

From 29 May to 6 June 2027, Olbia Waterfront – Porto Vecchio will host the Sardinia Boat Show, marking a new chapter for the event. Building on the experience gained in Porto Rotondo, the project introduces larger exhibition spaces, a stronger international focus and broader representation of Sardinia’s nautical industry.

The show will bring together businesses that build, refit and maintain vessels, alongside the expertise and services supporting their operations. It is designed to introduce international professionals to the island’s industrial capabilities and encourage new commercial relationships and partnerships.

Boatbuilding and refit at the heart of the show

The Sardinia Boat Show will focus on two main areas: boatbuilding and manufacturing, and refit, repair and maintenance. These will be complemented by components, onboard systems, technical and professional services, logistics and port infrastructure.

The aim is to showcase the full supply chain, from shipyards and specialist suppliers to businesses providing ongoing vessel support. Made in Sardinia will be presented within the wider expertise and industrial tradition of Made in Italy, while retaining its distinctive regional identity.

For Livio Fideli, President of CIPNES Gallura, the new show should serve as a practical instrument for business development and international expansion, improving opportunities to connect with industry professionals, partners and investors.

Supporting exports and attracting investment

Presented at the Genoa International Boat Show, the project forms part of the Regional Plan for the Internationalisation of Sardinia’s Nautical Industry, funded by the Sardinian Regional Government and implemented by CIPNES Gallura.

The strategy connects two complementary activities: taking Sardinian businesses to major trade events and bringing buyers, industrial partners and investors to the island. The Olbia exhibition will combine product promotion with opportunities to discover companies, infrastructure and potential production locations directly.

Giuseppe Meloni, Vice-President of the Sardinian Regional Government and Regional Minister for Planning and Budget, has identified exports and inward investment as key drivers for increasing the nautical industry’s contribution to the economy and skilled employment.

One platform for Sardinia’s industrial territories

Gallura, Cagliari, Ogliastra and the Sassari area will contribute complementary capabilities and resources. Alongside businesses, the industrial consortia and Port System Authority will present industrial sites, infrastructure and opportunities to establish operations.

The involvement of Marcello Ladu, President of the Ogliastra Provincial Industrial Consortium, and Simona Fois, President of the Sassari Provincial Industrial Consortium, reflects this regional scope. For Porto Torres, Fois highlighted the travel lift’s contribution to the industrial hub’s growth and the potential of local industrial land, distinguishing available sites from areas undergoing reversion procedures.

The show will therefore provide visibility both for established businesses and for the conditions supporting new projects in Sardinia.

Olbia’s waterfront: a new venue connected to the city

The move to Olbia Waterfront – Porto Vecchio will provide more space ashore and afloat, accommodating vessels of different sizes, including superyachts.

The decision also responds to requirements expressed by businesses, as Antonio Loriga, Vice-President of CIPNES Gallura, has explained. The late-May and early-June dates coincide with the start of the yachting season and extensive international air connections. Two direct routes linking Olbia with the New York area, planned for 2027, are particularly relevant to the project’s international ambitions.

For exhibitors and visitors, the location is intended to improve access to Sardinia’s industrial network while bringing the exhibition into the daily life of the city centre.

Ports, universities and skills for growth

Industry and education will feature alongside the exhibition. UniOlbia and the University of Cagliari will have dedicated spaces presenting Olbia’s degree programmes in Naval Engineering and Electrical and Aeronautical Industrial Technologies, supported by the Sardinian Regional Government.

University participation will help connect students and businesses, linking industrial development with the expertise required to sustain it. For an increasingly technological supply chain, locally available skills are an essential part of attracting investment and strengthening existing operations.

The project brings together the Sardinian Regional Government, CIPNES Gallura, Olbia Municipality, the Port System Authority and the industrial consortia. Mayor Settimo Nizzi has emphasised its connection with the waterfront’s development, while Domenico Bagalà, President of the Port Authority, has highlighted the relationship between ports, industry and skilled employment.

The Sardinia Boat Show will present an island that welcomes international yachting and supports it through manufacturing, refit, services and innovation: a place to discover businesses, explore partnerships and develop new investment opportunities.