Blue Nautical HUB Brasil establishes itself as a strategic connection platform for the Ocean Economy

Santa Catarina, Brazil, May 2026. Five events in one week: Blue Nautical HUB Brasil 2026 closed its programme leaving as its main legacy the consolidation of a strategic connection platform for the Ocean Economy. In an intense and integrated agenda, the HUB brought together technical visits, the III International Blue Economy Symposium, the B2B Business Meeting, the institutional meeting with the Ocean Economy Parliamentary Front and the programme of the Cofradía Europea de la Vela, connecting entrepreneurs, experts, public officials, national and international bodies, shipyards, marinas, suppliers, sector professionals and leaders.

The event, held by ACATMAR and Sebrae/SC between 26 April and 1 May, proved to be an environment of collective construction. “The aim was to show that the nautical sector cannot be understood merely as leisure. It involves industry, trade, services, tourism, technology, innovation, sustainability, professional training, infrastructure, ocean culture, public policy, job creation and regional development”, says Patrícia Mattos, state manager of the Sebrae/SC Blue Economy Project.

Technical visits opened the week by connecting entrepreneurs to the sector’s production reality

The programme began in Itajaí, with visits to Azimut Yachts, the OKEAN shipyard, the Ferretti Yachts operation in Brazil, Fibrafort and Marina Itajaí. The agenda closed in Itapema, at the new and iconic Pier Oporto, a development already establishing itself as a new tourism, gastronomy and economic landmark on the water.

On the second day, the entrepreneurs travelled to the Freguesia Marine Farm, in Santo Antônio de Lisboa, Florianópolis. The visit presented an important branch of the Ocean Economy linked to mariculture, local production, experience tourism, gastronomy and the sustainable use of marine resources.

The group then visited one of the three Schaefer Yachts units, home to the shipyard’s development centre in Santa Catarina. There, participants saw at close range an exclusive 5-axis CNC machine, highlighted as the only one in the region’s nautical market with that capacity.

Shortly afterwards, the entrepreneurs visited Marina Pier 33, on the banks of the Biguaçu River, the second Schaefer Yachts manufacturing site, in the municipality of Palhoça, and the Sessa Marine Brasil/Intech Boating shipyard, also in Palhoça.

III International Blue Economy Symposium broadened the debate on the sector’s future

One of the central moments of the week was the III International Blue Economy Symposium, which gathered experts, entrepreneurs, institutional leaders and public officials in an intense programme of talks and panel discussions.

The symposium addressed themes that are essential to the advance of the Ocean Economy, such as nautical infrastructure, marina development, the recreational shipbuilding industry, nautical tourism, sustainability, governance, innovation, the business environment, tax reform, Mercosur, internationalisation, professional training, water sports, territorial planning and the role of coastal cities in economic development.

The partnership with Sebrae/SC allowed a direct focus on the competitiveness of Santa Catarina’s micro and small businesses in this edition. Roberto Tavares, Competitiveness manager at Sebrae/SC, highlighted the success of the project’s revival: “Sebrae invested more than BRL 2 million in this initiative. With specialised support, the companies assisted already record an average increase of 38%% in productivity and 15%% in revenue. Our goal is to consolidate Santa Catarina not only as a national leader, but as an international benchmark in the sector.”

Ocean Economy data opens a new stage for the sector

Among the most relevant moments of the III International Blue Economy Symposium was the presentation of the Ocean Economy data for Santa Catarina, led by the State Government through the State Department of Planning.

In Santa Catarina, this set of activities gathers approximately 240,000 formal workers across more than 23,000 establishments, with a monthly payroll of around BRL 1.158 billion. The data show that the Ocean Economy is not an abstract topic, but a concrete, cross-cutting productive force present in different supply chains in the state.

The survey also found that, between March 2025 and February 2026, the Ocean Economy accounted for approximately 6,000 new formal jobs, representing 13%% of the total balance of formal jobs in Santa Catarina in the period.

As a direct outcome of this agenda, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Government of Santa Catarina and ACATMAR for the sharing of information and economic indicators linked to the activities that make up the Ocean Economy.

Business meeting aboard the catamaran

Another major highlight of the programme was the B2B Business Meeting, held for the first time aboard a catamaran on the Florianópolis waterfront. The meeting gathered around 70 companies, connecting suppliers, shipyards, marinas, service providers, institutional representatives and potential commercial partners in direct, qualified, business-focused meetings.

Cofradía Europea de la Vela strengthened the cultural and international dimension of the HUB

The programme also included the meeting of the Cofradía Europea de la Vela, an international body linked to maritime culture, sailing, nautical tradition and the strengthening of ties between countries connected by the sea.

“Blue Nautical HUB Brasil was born to be a connection platform for the Ocean Economy. During this week, we saw companies talking to each other, business being started, experts sharing knowledge, the public sector drawing closer to the industry and international bodies building bridges with Brazil. That is the true role of the HUB: to connect in order to build”, says Leandro Mané Ferrari, president of ACATMAR and of Blue Nautical HUB Brasil.

Collective construction and strategic support

Blue Nautical HUB Brasil 2026 was a collective construction, held by Mundo Mar Consulting, ACATMAR, Cofradía Europea de la Vela and Sebrae/SC. The event was sponsored by Schaefer Yachts and Marine Telematics, with official support from ARB Legal, Fibrafort, Navalcare, Personal Boat, Hotel Castelmar and Escunas Pirata Florianópolis.

BNHB 2026 Press Office. Photos: Mundo Mar.