The Universities of Cagliari and Sassari support the Sardinian nautical

Sardinia is increasingly synonymous with boating. More and more an island that not only lives by the sea, but lives from the sea. A central island in the Mediterranean, able to generate 400 million revenues from the supply chain, intercepting with the Costa Smeralda half of the superyachts crossing in the Mare Nostrum.

The confirmation of this new wawe has arrived at the third edition of the Sardinia Nautical Fair, staged in Porto Rotondo from 1 to 5 May, organized by Cipnes Gallura, supported by the Department of Tourism of the Sardinia Region, sponsored by Confindustria Nautica.

A future on the sea for Sardinia

Sardinia wants to build its future on the sea. And to do so it has the fundamental support of the two Universities of Sardinia, present with their Rectors (photo), and the consortium UniOlbia. A great sign for the new generations: the future is there, in the sea, and the University of Sassari, with the new Department of Innovation in Olbia, and the University of Cagliari, with the new degree course in Naval Engineering in Olbia, want to draw it clearly.

Also because the importance of nautical, for Sardinia, is demonstrated by a data: it contributes to 20% of the total revenues of the Economy of the Sea, or Blue Economy, the most sustainable.

The strategic nautical for the Zes

On this turning point, the nautical one as future, the five days of the Fair to Round Port have been concentrated with talk of absolute scientific and economic importance. The Fair was a melting pot of strategic ideas. With the strong final proposal, made from the Sardinia Region and the Cipnes Gallura: that to include the nautical one in the strategic Plan of the Only Zes, the new special economic zone that covers all the South, included the Sardinia.

The Region strongly believes in it. Giuseppe Meloni, Vice President and Councillor for Planning, and Franco Cuccureddu, Councillor for Tourism, were both present at three different times of the Fair. And in all the occasions they have restated that the nautical one, for the new committee guided from president Alessandra Todde, is fundamental for the development of the Sardinian economy.

An international marketing operation

Statements made with data support. During the talk on the nautical industry, Meloni has taken the commitment, in tune with how much supported from the president of UniOlbia, Aldo Carta, to work in order to include the nautical one as field to "promote and those to strengthen", that it is the definition in the decree on the new Zes Unica. That is one of the two fundamental points. The other is consequent: if the nautical one will be in the strategic plan, it will draw to the pingui bottoms of the Pnrr.

"We are already engaged on this front, with specific meetings in Rome to the mission structure," explained Meloni. "It would be an international marketing operation to communicate that in Sardinia there is a special economic zone for boating," said Carta.

The presence of the University of the French Riviera

A Nautical Zes Sardinia, in short. To which the Sardinian and international academic world will make a great contribution. The University of the French Riviera was also present at the Fair, which also signed a collaboration with Cipnes Gallura.

"We are happy to be at the Fair" wrote on Linkedin the IMREDD - Université Côte d'Azur, l'Institut d'Innovation et de Partenariats dédié à la GreenTech/SmartCity centré sur une plateforme technologique ouverte.

The partnership with Cipnes Gallura and San Raffaele

"In the Techno Green area of the Fair, companies and participating entities presented their innovative systems and services aimed at supporting the transition to healthier, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible individual and collective lifestyles - he wrote still - IMREDD is committed to playing an active role in these developments. In particular, IMREDD participates in the program "ONE HEALTH: Well-Being and Sustainability in the Blue Economy", a collaboration between the Research Center for advanced technologies for health and well-being of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, the Cipnes Gallura and the Marina of Porto Rotondo. This program aims to promote individual and collective health and well-being in a holistic dimension, which also includes the quality and protection of the environment in which we live".

The four areas of interest of the programme are:

•  The safest and most efficient hospital of the future
• The healthiest, sustainable and socially responsible life of the future
• The healthiest, sustainable and socially responsible city of the future
• The sea of the future.

Courses in Olbia of the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari

For the sea, for the young and for the future of Sardinia there is the strong commitment of the Sardinian universities. The University of Sassari has launched the Department of Innovation in Olbia, also dedicated to applied research in the nautical sector. The Rector Gavino Mariotti, present at the inauguration, spoke about it.

The University of Cagliari, since the academic year 2024/2025, has offered a new degree course in Naval Engineering in Olbia, the fifth in Italy, responding to the needs of the companies of boating in Olbia and Sardinia. The Rector Francesco Mola, the Vice Rector Fabrizio Pilo and the General Director Aldo Urru, present at the second day of the Fair, spoke about it.

Together with them, the directors of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Civil Engineering, the university professor coordinator of the course of studies in Naval Engineering and the president of Polab, the technological research center of Cagliari.

All courses will be done with the support of UniOlbia, in turn present at the Fair with its information stand on the degree courses in Olbia.