The future of marina operations, sustainability, and workforce development will take centre stage at Marinas26, as five cutting-edge finalists go head-to-head in the Innovators & Start-Up Showcase.
Date: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
Time: 13:00 – 14:00
The future of marina operations, sustainability, and workforce development takes centre stage at Marinas26, where five cutting-edge finalists will compete in the Innovators & Start-Up Showcase.
Each finalist will deliver a fast-paced, seven-minute pitch to an audience of industry leaders before the winner is decided by live delegate vote and announced at the Marine Structures Tropical Gala Dinner that evening.
Big ideas meet real-world application – and this year’s line-up delivers.
The session will be chaired by Andrew Hutchinson, Industry Engagement Officer at Invest Gold Coast.
Working within one of Australia’s fastest-growing regional economies and its $1 billion marine industry, Andrew brings deep experience in public-private partnerships, investment attraction, and sector development across manufacturing and superyachts.
The Innovators & Start-Up Showcase is more than a pitch session. It’s a snapshot of where the industry is heading. From AI and automation to sustainability and workforce transformation, these finalists represent practical, scalable solutions to the challenges marina operators face right now.
If you want to understand what’s next for the marina sector, this is the session to watch.
Meet the Finalists
Metarina
Metarina is pushing the boundaries of marina operations with its AI-powered Predictive Risk Intelligence Engine. Already live across Europe and expanding into Southeast Asia, the platform automates compliance, flags risks before vessels arrive, and streamlines customer check-ins — shifting the industry from reactive to predictive.
Southern Sky AI
Southern Sky AI delivers a structured, governance-led AI adoption framework tailored to maritime businesses. Its Compass AI Blueprint helps operators cut through the hype and implement AI in a controlled, practical way that improves operations without adding complexity.
ReefFloat
ReefFloat tackles one of the industry’s biggest environmental challenges with the world’s first foam-free concrete marina float. Fully recyclable and structurally stronger, it eliminates polystyrene pollution while enabling in-situ replacement to minimise disruption and cost.
Harbr
Built for Australian conditions, Harbr is an AI-first marina management platform integrating bookings, billing, communications, and operations into one system. Its embedded AI co-pilot reduces admin and lifts service delivery, while supporting environmental initiatives through its business model.
Marine Futures
Marine Futures addresses the sector’s skills shortage with an end-to-end workforce development platform, connecting recruitment, training, and career pathways to build a sustainable pipeline of talent for the marine industry.
Get your delegate tickets here
See the list of Program & Speakers Here
