Record-breaking Italian boating and marine industry: exports in 2025 exceed €10 billion

2025 was a golden year for the Italian boating and marine industry, which set a new export record. Last year, as reported by SACE, the sector exceeded €10 billion in sales in foreign markets. This achievement highlights how Made in Italy boats are appreciated worldwide thanks to expertise rooted in the country's history. For centuries now, the sea has been a valuable resource for Italy, and the country has been adept at harnessing it to the full, giving rise to a lucrative specialized economy. 

The Made in Italy boating and marine industry is growing and conquering Europe 

The performance of boating and marine industry exports is even more significant when compared with the previous year. In fact, exports in 2025 grew by 40% compared to 2024, marking a strong recovery for the sector, which combines high-end design with the quality of Made in Italy materials and expertise. 

The very way the Italian industry operates stems from the interplay of skills honed over time and a tradition handed down from generation to generation. This ability to blend history and innovation is one of the qualities that makes Italian boats so popular around the world. This is borne out by European export data: more than 25% of the continent's boating and marine industry exports come from Italy, and if we look only at recreational craft, the share is close to 30%. 

The cruise industry is driving growth, while the pleasure boating sector is consolidating its position 

The Italian boating and marine industry does not owe its reputation to a single sector or a specific product. Thanks to expertise shared from the north to the south of the Peninsula, from the hubs of Sicily and Campania to the boating and marine industries in Liguria and Apulia, several products have consolidated their standing within the supply chain or strengthened their market position. 

Cruise ships played a prominent role in the 2025 results, with exports reaching €4.4 billion, returning to levels close to the peaks of 2022. These alone accounted for over 40% of the entire sector's foreign sales. 

The recreational boating industry also continued to grow in 2025, reaching €4.4 billion in export sales. The increase compared to 2024 was 2.6%, demonstrating the quality and attention that is also given to smaller vessels. Finally, if we look at vessels intended for work at sea, from commercial to defense vessels, the increase is 280%, with the figure approaching €1.5 billion. 

The Italian industry, therefore, recorded all-round growth in 2025. The value of the industry's products stems from knowledge that is shared throughout its entire production chain. Attention to design, quality, and small details thus characterizes every segment of the industry, which has been one of Italy's crowning glories since the last millennium. 

Between superyachts and the US market, the Italian boating and marine industry is sailing full steam ahead 

Just as in the past, the world continues to look with interest to the maritime hubs of the Italian Peninsula. At the top of the list of major buyers are the United States, which account for about one-third of the sector's exports and as much as 66% of foreign sales in the cruise industry. 

Pleasure craft, on the other hand, have a more complex geographical distribution, reaching various destinations around the world. In fact, alongside the USA, the countries showing the greatest interest include the United Kingdom, Malta, France, and Türkiye, confirming widespread demand across multiple regions. 

Superyachts play a very significant role in Italy's order book. In fact, the country's boating and marine industry is currently building more than half of the vessels of this type ordered worldwide. This figure does not only concern deliveries in 2025, but also reflects the weight of Italian production in a market segment that requires high levels of specialization. 

It is precisely when we look at this type of production that the importance of the supply chain becomes most evident: behind the shipyard, there are many companies with different areas of expertise, all called upon to work on the same project. 

Behind every vessel is a supply chain of specialized expertise 

Shared knowledge is the true hallmark of Italy’s boating and marine industry. The recreational boating industry comprises nearly 1,000 companies and over 168,000 employees, generating more than €13 billion in added value. 

Boats are built using a method typical of Made in Italy: this process involves collaboration between key players from various sectors, from designers to manufacturers of engines and electrical systems, as well as furnishing companies, component suppliers, and providers of digital technologies. In the case of large vessels, the contribution of subcontractors can account for a predominant share of the project's total value. 

The strength therefore lies in the ability to coordinate different areas of specialization within complex production processes. Design, components, systems, and fittings must function as parts of a single system, complying with shared technical requirements, timescales, and quality standards. In this way, the sector is able to respond optimally to market demands and the challenges of the present day. The latest innovations are thus integrated into the value chain, with a constant focus on tradition and sustainability. 

New propulsion systems and customization are changing the market

Climate change considerations are also becoming a major factor in the demands of the boating and marine market. Worldwide, just under half of the shipbuilding order book relates to alternative propulsion systems. The market is increasingly shifting toward eco-friendly solutions, directly involving shipyards and suppliers in more environmentally responsible initiatives. 

The energy transition thus links design to the broader issue of marine conservation, making choices more geared toward reducing pollution. In the recreational boating industry, this trend goes hand in hand with customization, which brings Made in Italy yachts closer to customers' requirements. Digitalization is also becoming more important in this context, playing a key role not only in the development of boats, but also in the relationship between companies and customers.

New market demands help expand the sector's opportunities, but they make the maturity of the supply chain even more critical. However, some challenges remain, mainly linked to rising energy and industrial costs and potential supply disruptions, which could lead to longer delivery times. 

With OpportunItaly, from Italian supply chains to international markets

Shipbuilding expertise is part of the Blue Economy, which also encompasses ports, logistics, tourism, fishing, and many other maritime-related services. It is within this system of expertise, businesses, and regions that export performance takes on its broadest meaning: not merely as a commercial achievement, but as the ability to bring complex and highly specialized products to international markets.  

OpportunItaly promotes the excellence and know-how of Italy's boating and marine industry, connecting professionals in the supply chain with key international operators and buyers. Thanks to dedicated services, such as the Map of Italian Districts or Business Matching, the program promotes expansion into international markets and generates new growth opportunities for Made in Italy. To discover all the services, join the program. 

Sources 
SACE  

In summary 

• In 2025, Italian boatbuilding exports exceeded €10 billion, growing by 40% compared to 2024. 

• Cruise ships and recreational boating each reached €4.4 billion in exports, while commercial and defense vessels came close to €1.5 billion. 

• The United States is the leading export market and accounts for about one-third of Italian sales abroad. 

• More than half of the superyachts in the global order book are under construction in Italian shipyards, thanks also to the contribution of specialized suppliers. 

• Alternative propulsion systems, customization and digitalization are driving the development of the sector, which is facing industrial costs and potential supply disruptions.