Innovation and technology: keys to the future of the yachting industry

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21/12/2020

CIT UPC and the Barcelona Clúster Nàutic organised the sector webinar “Innovation and technology: keys to the future of the yachting industry”, to present the latest technology trends in the area of electrification and advanced production technologies.

After a welcome speech given by Toni Tió, the executive president of the Barcelona Clúster Nàutic, Manuel José Lis, PhD holder in Industrial Engineering from the Research Group in Polymer Materials and Textile Chemistry (POLQUITEX) of the UPC Institute of Textile Research and Industrial Cooperation of Terrassa (INTEXTER), focused on the use of new, environmentally friendly materials with antimicrobial, antiodour, antifungal and self-cleaning properties. One solution developed recently in this area are microcapsules of active principles with controlled release, which can be applied to the outside surface of any material, such as textiles, wood and fibre glass for boats.

Daniel Montesinos, director of the CITCEA UPC research group, talked about the opportunities of electrification for boats, and the way to get the best performance from a boat battery. Montesinos stressed that the electrification of mobility is a golden opportunity to integrate renewable energies and commit to electrical batteries that charge and discharge depending on the energy needs of the network.

The webinar, which had more than 40 participants, highlighted the UPC’s technology leadership for members of Barcelona Clúster Nàutic.

The event was jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union as part of the ERDF Operational Programme in Catalonia 2014–2020.