If I ask the question, “What if..?” many things happen when you have a room full of bright minds including the heads of R&D from some of the major shipyards, future-thinking designers, progressive yacht managers, consultants, owners’ reps and some very experienced captains.

The “What if…?” today is all about the experience we created and how we delivered something pretty exclusive and unique in a market full of events and conferences. We will share many of the takeaways and ideas that came out of INNORVATION when this year’s documentary is finished, but for now …

What if you invite 65 innovators to a unique maritime hub with robotic battery factories, R&D centres and risk situation rooms? The conversations become dynamic and candid.

What if you then take all of the Innovators in a cable car to the top of the highest mountain in Bergen, Ulriken, at 643 metres and ask them to form ‘blue-jacketed, blue-sky teams’ and go off for two hours and sit on the rocks or by small mountain lakes and ask themselves, “What if…?”

What if you then take them on a clunky old fast ferry through myriad Norwegian islands to a tiny private island and ask them to watch the sun go down (which it never really does) while eating excellent sea food and enjoying some fine Norwegian cider, sharing stories and experiences over fine wine at one of Bergen’s most famous restaurants?

What if you then, after a midnight viewing of Norway in the World Cup, ask them to jump into a funicular up to the beautiful woods of Floyen, where the teams would present their “What if…?” ideas for some honest and unique discussion with the rest of the team? You end up with some very valuable output, to be shared soon.

What if you then ask some of the Innorvators to carry a handful of picnic baskets through the woods, to sit by a lake and enjoy the energy, the calm, the oxygen, the natural surroundings and keep thinking, talking and sharing ideas amongst this incredible gathering of brilliant minds?

What if the Nordic Gods were on our side and delivered two consecutive days of brilliant sunshine for our blue-sky-thinking sessions? Something the locals could not believe.

Last year we hosted INNORVATION in Alesund, a couple of hundred kilometres north, and everyone said how to can you beat what happened last year? By increasing the number of attendees to 65 and bringing in a rare mix of smart thinkers from Feadship, Oceanco, Damen Yachting, Sanlorenzo, Benetti, Fraser, Mayfair Marine, Espen Øino Naval Architects, Vripack and many more, you create something pretty special.

“Three inspiring and entertaining days. Loved the honesty, straightforwardness and the honesty. Simplicity rules, but here’s an afterburner: we often label “change” as complex!”
Giedo Loeff, Feadship

“A superb three days, insightful keynotes, I learnt something is every session that I would utilise in any future project, excellent job.”
George Gill, REV Ocean 

“Every day a new experience – that’s my life motto – and it’s fair to say the past three days gave multiple … thanks!”
Marnix Hoekstra, Vripack

Ultimately, when we are challenged to create something new in the congested world of events, we like to step up and deliver something that people will never forget. I for one will never forget INNORVATION’26 and am already thinking about what we can do next year.

To register for a place in 2027 visit www.innorvation26.com and put your name on the very special guest list. 

Thanks for our partners at DNV, Kongsberg Maritime, Norwegian Hull Club, Corvus Energy, Henri Lloyd, Jotun Coatings, Superyacht Norway and my team at The Superyacht Group, and to all the VIPs who took the time out of their busy schedules to become Innorvators.

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