A technology show for yachting?
The Consumer Electronics Show or CES in Las Vegas is now a must-attend event for new technologies. In 2023, some of the major players in the yachting industry were there to present their new products and discuss the yachting of tomorrow, such as Volvo Penta or the Brunswick Group. Alongside them were traditional electronics manufacturers, but also start-ups from all over the world, including France.
Launches and sharing of the nautical world in the 21st century
The Brunswick Group, which has been focusing on connected boats and new engines for several years, chose CES, not a boat show, to announce the power of its first Avator electric motor. The Las Vegas show was also an opportunity for the group to present its new logo and its new slogan, Next Never Rest. Choices that show the importance of this show for the American leader in the yachting industry.
On the Volvo Penta side, a complete foresight exercise was unveiled. The Swedish motor company presented its vision of the future of boating, evoking numerous new technologies to simplify the use of boats. There is an interesting concept of autonomous island, serving as a base for nautical recreation, as a source of recharging for electric boats and as a marine refuge, systems for sharing energy between boats at sea, information transmissions between boats to detect and protect marine fauna. If these technologies are not mature, they draw an interesting field of possibilities.
Start-ups in search of acceleration
Alongside the big companies, we naturally find the usual suppliers of electronics like Garmin or Cedar Technologies and its Cobra radios. Lesser known start-ups are also making the trip to Las Vegas. We find drones for delivery on ships or port cleaning. The French companies Aqualines and Weenav were also exhibiting at CES. The former presented their surface-effect vessels, half boat, half plane, while the latter highlighted electric repowering and their application under development with the European Space Agency for intelligent routing of electric boats and "safe return to base."
If the number of exhibitors related to boating remains low among the hundreds of companies present, the CES takes on a more maritime touch each year. A sort of mini METS Trade of the technological boat!
