Brittany Sailing Valley: Foiling Innovation Takes Center Stage at METSTRADE
The METSTRADE event served as a global hub, fostering collaboration and showcasing cutting-edge advancements in maritime technology. Brittany Sailing Valley®, supported by Bretagne Next, highlighted the region’s expertise in foiling and innovative maritime technologies at the METSTRADE Foiling Technology Pavilion. Recognized as a leading maritime technology ecosystem in Europe, Brittany Sailing Valley® is solidifying its role in shaping the future of maritime mobility through foiling.
A significant development was the agreement between Brittany Sailing Valley® and The Foiling Organization (TFO) to enhance cooperation between Breton and global foiling ecosystems. METSTRADE dedicated an entire pavilion to foiling systems, showcasing solutions that enable vessels to “fly” above water, reducing drag and energy consumption by 40-50%.
Breton Companies Showcase Expertise
Three Breton companies exhibited at the Brittany Sailing Valley® space within the Foiling Technology Pavilion, with support from the Audélor technopole:
- CDK Technologies: Specialists in designing and manufacturing high-performance composite parts for offshore racing and industrial applications.
- Pixel sur Mer: A leader in embedded solutions for instrumentation, data collection, and flight management, tailored for foiling boats and automated navigation systems. Their Exocet solution was nominated for the DAME Awards 2025, recognizing its design quality and innovation.
- Foil & Co: A European leader in recreational foiling, designing and manufacturing pre-impregnated carbon parts under the AFS and AHD brands, while exploring applications in offshore racing and maritime transport.
Brittany has established itself as a leading center for foiling in competitive sailing and the maritime industry. Today, the foiling sector continues to innovate, driven by energy optimization, new materials, and the ecological transition of maritime transport.
Emblematic Breton Projects
Several projects exemplify Brittany’s leadership in foiling technology:
- Foil Infinity: Led by AVEL Robotics and MerConcept, this project creates recyclable and retractable foils made from thermoplastic composites, reducing the carbon footprint by 30%.
- SEAir: Coordinating the European ARROW autonomous surface vessel project via the European Defence Fund (FED). The autonomous USV utilizes retractable hydrofoils to reduce consumption and autonomously travel 400 nautical miles at 45 knots.
- MerConcept and VPLP Design: Working on Fast Foiling Ferries and Crew Transport Vessels, catamarans ranging from 24 to 30 meters that combine speed (up to 40 knots) and energy efficiency (40% consumption reduction).
- K-Challenge Lab: The official support boat for the French Orient Express team for the 37th America’s Cup, a hydrogen-powered foiling catamaran, serving as a pilot for decarbonized and high-performance maritime transport.
- Crazy Lobster: Innovating with the Woodster Foil, a recycled wood foil with a low carbon footprint, manufactured in Saint-Brieuc.
A key highlight was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Brittany Sailing Valley® and The Foiling Organization (TFO). This agreement aims to promote Breton players internationally and structure cooperation between global foiling ecosystems, facilitating technology transfer, innovation, industrialization, and sustainability to advance the use of foiling.
A Thriving Ecosystem
Brittany Sailing Valley® represents the economic ecosystem of competitive sailing in Brittany. Over 250 players form this sector, driven by performance and innovation, directly connected to the needs of over 200 sports teams and projects. This concentration of expertise has earned Brittany global recognition in the field. This sector is directly connected to the nautical, light sailing, and gliding industries, innovating for various sectors including naval, yachting, and marine energy. The actors of competitive sailing have been able to put their innovation capabilities at the service of a new market: the propulsion of ships by wind.
This ecosystem, facilitated by Bretagne Développement Innovation, supports the sector’s development around three key areas:
- Disseminating expertise to new markets.
- Environmental and societal transitions.
- Skills development and knowledge sharing.
Insights
The collaboration of companies is beneficial for the entire nautical sector, from recreational boating to professional vessels. The pooling of knowledge and data collection are the most effective ways to rapidly advance technology.
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