On June 23, 2026, Marko Petelin, CEO of Infordata Sistemi Srl Società Benefit, spoke as a guest speaker at the Blue Marina Awards conference held at Marina Capo d’Orlando (Messina), within the thematic event “Marinas and Climate Change: Safety, Resilience and Environmental Management for the Tourist Ports of the Future.”
His contribution was part of Thematic Talk 1 – “The Changing Climate: Data, Sea and Coasts”, a panel that also featured Ilenia Belviso, researcher at CNR, and Franco Cannavò from the Regional Order of Geologists.
Infordata Sistemi’s contribution
Infordata Sistemi brought its expertise in the design and implementation of integrated environmental monitoring systems for marine, coastal and island contexts, developed within European projects and in collaboration with national and international research institutions.
The presentation focused on three main thematic pillars:
1. What to monitor and why
Tourist marinas already collect a significant amount of data, but rarely in a structured or interoperable way. Infordata Sistemi proposed a minimum set of measurable environmental KPIs as a starting point:
- energy consumption per berth (with distinctions by vessel type, including electric boats)
- water quality at the inlet and outlet of the basin
- a marina tourism pressure index combining nautical traffic, pedestrian flows and resource consumption (water, waste)
Additional often-overlooked but critical parameters were highlighted: underwater noise generated by propeller traffic, sea surface temperature, and the coverage of Posidonia oceanica meadows.
2. The role of Earth Observation and Digital Twins
Through the Acquamarina platform and the integration of Copernicus satellite data (CMEMS, Copernicus Marine Service), Infordata Sistemi enables marina operators to correlate real‑time local measurements with climate‑change projections at regional and Mediterranean scale. The concept of the Local Digital Twin, also developed within the Horizon Europe FLOODGUARD project, allows simulation of risk scenarios, optimization of operational response during extreme meteo‑marine events, and data‑driven planning of infrastructure investments.
3. From marina as consumer to custodian of the blue economy
The core message was strategic: a marina that invests in structured environmental monitoring is not merely reducing its impact — it is building a valuable asset for accessing European funding (FEAMPA, Horizon Europe Mission Ocean, LIFE), strengthening its competitive positioning in sustainable yachting, and contributing actively to the protection of Mediterranean marine biodiversity.
Context: Blue Marina Awards
Blue Marina Awards is the Italian program that recognizes and promotes excellence in tourist port management, based on objective criteria of sustainability, innovation, safety, hospitality and inclusiveness. The 2026 edition in Capo d’Orlando gathered institutional representatives (Ministry of Tourism, RINA, Milazzo Coast Guard, Sicilian Region), industry associations (Assonat‑Confcommercio, Confindustria Nautica, Assomarinas, FIV) and leading national nautical media such as Forbes Italia, Nautica and SuperYacht International.
Infordata solutions for sustainable marina management
- Acquamarina — integrated platform for marine and coastal environmental monitoring
- Power metering — energy‑consumption measurement systems for port infrastructure and charging stations
- Earth Observation — Copernicus satellite data integration for water quality, temperature and marine vegetation coverage
- Local Digital Twin — operational digital models for climate and hydrogeological risk management
- European projects — technological partner in Horizon Europe, Interreg and FEAMPA programs