IBI Feb | Mar 24 digital issue

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Check out the interactive edition of the Feb/Mar issue of IBI which features live links and video content. 

SO, WHAT DID we learn from boot Düsseldorf 2024, the traditional curtain raiser for Europe’s boating season and an early barometer of what could lie ahead for the industry?

Those exhibitors IBI canvassed on the show floor tended to strike a balance between positivity and reality, accepting the market readjustment, taking solace in the prospects of interest rate cuts later this year boosting consumer confidence. The small boat sector is under pressure, while the resilience of the bigger boat builders with extended order books provides some solace.

In this February / March issue we reflect on the prospects for 2024 and gauge the full impact and extent of the downturn on France and Italy in our annual market reports on those two countries.

Boot Düsseldorf provided plenty of evidence that alternative propulsion continues to gather momentum. In this issue we track the latest developments in the electric outboard sector, but also investigate how traditional ICE outboard manufacturers are fighting back.

Sustainability is again set to be a major driver this year ­– and we flag the latest technologies already moving the dial on decarbonization. We also take a glimpse at the future tech potential of our sector with our review of the CES show in Las Vegas.

One thing is certain – Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is sure to dominate the debate through 2024. That is vital – not just for the planet, but for the boating consumer too. Freed from the binary choice of electric or ICE – a false narrative inherited from the auto sector, the industry can develop its own unique set of solutions – a tantalising prospect for when the cogs engage on the next growth cycle.

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