On 17 November 2025, the Metstrade venue in Amsterdam will host the Marine Impact Lab, an intensive one-day event designed to make sustainability a strategic priority for the marine industry and serve as a model for federations and international committees in their own adaptation processes. The project is led by Marine Futures and Foxall Munro, with the support of World Sailing, ICOMIA, 11th Hour Racing, METSTRADE, Northern Lights Composites, and the ‘St. Maarten Heineken Regatta’.
The initiative will bring together engineers, designers, sustainability managers, governance specialists, and organizational leaders in a context where both sport and the marine industry face stricter regulations, rising costs, and the need to meet evolving social expectations.
Sustainability as a priority for federations and Olympic committees
The Marine Impact Lab is structured around two tracks designed to move from theory to practice. The Product Track, coordinated by Marine Futures through the MarineShift360 program, focuses on product life cycle, efficiency, and end-of-life planning. The Organisation Track, led by Foxall Munro, addresses carbon reporting, governance, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability strategies applicable to organizational structures, including sports federations.
Both tracks include four practical sessions, based on methodologies already being applied in Olympic and international contexts, making the event a benchmark for national committees and institutions seeking to advance towards sustainable models without losing competitiveness.
Examples applied in the Olympic Games
The Foxall Munro Sustainability Toolbox already supports more than 950 professionals across 95 sectors and has been adopted by the Australian Olympic Committee -AOC- to prepare federations for the Brisbane 2032 Games. The Association of National Olympic Committees -ANOC- and several international universities also use the tool to design comprehensive sustainability plans for sport and event management.
Another example is Starboard, which developed a windsurf board for the Olympic Games with 19% lower emissions thanks to low-impact materials, showing how marine industry innovations can be directly transferred to the Olympic environment.
Innovation in the marine sector with sporting impact
The Marine Impact Lab also draws on cases such as MarineShift360, applied in the launch of Evene by Williams Jet Tenders, which reduced operational waste by 21%, and North Sails, which invested in solar infrastructure saving an estimated 600 tons of CO₂ annually. These achievements, while rooted in the industry, provide valuable lessons for organized sport and for federations aiming to balance sustainability with performance.
As Ollie Taylor, Director at Marine Futures, noted: “The marine industry already has many of the tools it needs to reduce impact and build future-proof businesses. What’s been missing is a space to bring people together to collaborate, share ideas and inspiration, and turn that potential into real progress.”
The institutional dimension is also present. Alexandra Rickham, Director of Sustainability at World Sailing, highlighted: “Innovation across the marine sector is key to a sustainable future. We are pleased to support the Marine Impact Lab and help to show how advanced technologies, new approaches and collaboration can bring about a long-term positive impact for all involved.”
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