There is something unconventional about Giorgio Mattei’s career path. Before yachting came biomedical engineering, research into tissues and in vitro organs, technology transfer and artificial intelligence. Then came the encounter with Next Yacht Group – the yachting arm of GB Invest Holding AG, an Austrian holding company controlled by the Nesti family, which in recent years has developed a cross-sector investment strategy spanning technology, hospitality, real estate and yachting – owner of the Maiora and AB Yachts brands, with an industrial project that aims not simply to build yachts, but to interpret a broader vision of contemporary luxury.

In an industry where the conversation often revolves around metres, knots, gross tonnage and order books, Mattei uses a different vocabulary: “quality time”, “boutique”, “experience”, “local brain”, “product identity”. In his words, these concepts are not communication formulas, but tools to define the future positioning of Maiora and AB Yachts.

PressMare interviewed him to take stock of the group’s growth, its new production capacity, the evolution of markets, the cross-fertilisation between the two brands, sustainability and the artificial intelligence system that Next Yacht Group is developing for its yachts.

PM – Next Yacht Group has entered the Global Orderbook for the first time. What does this achievement mean?

GM – The company has officially entered the Global Orderbook for the first time, reaching fifteenth place with 19 units either under construction or delivered between September 2024 and September 2025. Average length has also increased, reaching 33.4 metres, while total length has risen to 635 metres from 387 metres the previous year.

For us, however, the objective is not simply to climb a numerical ranking. The Global Orderbook includes players whose strength lies in production and volumes. We define ourselves as a “Yacht Boutique”, so we focus above all on consolidating quality, the group’s distinctive recognisability and sustainable growth.

The growth we envisage for the future is therefore not only growth in volumes, but above all in innovation, value and international presence. This is the role we want to assign to Next Yacht Group and to its Maiora and AB Yachts brands.

PM – Maiora recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, while AB celebrates 34 years this year. What is the real historical heritage of the two brands today?

GM – In the past, the figure of 600 boats produced overall under the two brands has been quoted, but that number in fact also included units that were not yachts in the strict sense. If we focus only on delivered motor yachts, we are at around 380 units in total: 265 Maiora and 115 AB Yachts. This is an important distinction because it also reflects the path we want to follow today: greater focus, less dispersion, more consistency with the positioning of the two brands.

PM – In recent years you have expanded your production capacity. What is the industrial scale of Next Yacht Group today?

GM – Today we have more than 60,000 square metres between Massa and Viareggio, with three production sites and two facilities. We have eight lamination stations, sixteen outfitting stations and five exclusive berths, in addition of course to other available dock space.

We currently have thirteen yachts under construction: six in lamination, nine in onshore outfitting and four in the final commissioning stages at the dock. The investments made are functional to the three-year plan, and the objective is to reach 18-20 yachts under construction at the same time.

PM – In this perspective, could refit become a business line?

GM – Refit is an interesting area and we are evaluating it concretely, also because it can represent a natural upselling service for our clients. However, at the moment it is not a planned business line. Today all our energy is focused on consolidating Maiora and AB Yachts.

In the future, with a significant fleet of yachts in operation, it will be difficult not to offer this kind of service to our clients. But today the priority remains strengthening the new-build product.

PM – How much does the current geopolitical scenario weigh on the yachting market?

GM – The global geopolitical situation is a variable that has a significant impact on many industries, not only yachting. As far as we are concerned, however, it has not radically changed the company’s strategic approach. The main impact can be seen in demand dynamics and the supply chain. Owners are more selective, decision-making cycles are longer and there is greater attention to the solidity of the ecosystem in which the yacht is built. Purchasing is becoming less emotional and more rational.

On the supply chain front, cost management and supply stability are central. Covid taught us that, over the construction period of a yacht, cost variations can have a major impact on margins. Today we have more robust contracts, but the issue remains highly relevant.

PM – Does the Middle East remain a promising market?

GM – The outlook remains, but today the Middle East is moving with greater caution than in the past. We were ready to attend the Dubai boat show in April, but the event was cancelled due to the climate of strong geopolitical tension and the conflict in the Middle East. This is a sign that the market is not at a standstill, but is going through a more cautious phase.

Global demand, rather than shrinking, tends to redistribute. For this reason, we will continue to focus on geographical diversification, the expansion of the range and investments in innovation and production capacity.

PM – In such an uncertain context, how important is it to have a solid ownership behind you?

GM – It matters a great deal. Solid ownership reduces the perception of vulnerability and gives the client a guarantee of operational continuity. This is an important added value, especially when talking about yachts with long construction times and significant investments.

I have experienced the evolution of the shipyard from the time we acquired the majority shareholding to the current situation, with a new ownership and a new team. Today the cards we can put on the table reassure the global client. When they arrive at the shipyard and find an organised production site, a high-level deck lounge welcoming them and visible investments, the approach changes.

PM – How do you view the American market?

GM – It has grown strongly and some are now beginning to read signs of a slowdown, but we, operating in very distinctive niches with both brands, can confirm substantial stability. This year we will deliver important Maiora and AB Yachts units on the East Coast, more precisely in Florida.

PM – Is production today more oriented towards Maiora or AB Yachts?

GM – It depends on the moment in which production is observed. There was a phase when it was more weighted towards AB Yachts. Today I would say it is fairly balanced, while the range development plan we are launching sees a prevalence of Maiora units.

PM – The Maiora Exuma line is achieving important results. How did this product originate?

GM – The Exuma line was born from a specific request by an American owner, who wanted a Maiora capable of navigating quickly even in shallow waters. From that request, by blending the DNA of AB Yachts and Maiora, a product was born that initially seemed destined to be a one-off. In reality, in about a month we will deliver the sixth unit of the 36 Exuma, and the first 42 Exuma is scheduled for delivery next summer. It is a project that embodies our boutique philosophy very well: style, elegance and technology brought together in a yacht with a strong identity.

The 42 Exuma is a 42-metre yacht of 430 GT, with very particular layout solutions: the owner’s suite and guest suites are all on the main deck, with large windows and a fully open 360-degree Infinity upper deck, creating a strong connection between interiors and exteriors. The planned propulsion package allows the yacht to reach 30 knots. It is the result of the shipyard’s work with designers Giorgio Maria Cassetta for the exteriors and Elie Saab for the interiors.

PM – How important is the technological and stylistic cross-fertilisation between Maiora and AB Yachts?

GM – It matters a lot, provided it does not flatten the offer. AB Yachts is and will remain our “Formula One” range: the place where naval engineering, materials and technology are expressed at the highest level. When a solution works, its portability to Maiora is natural.

But cross-fertilisation is not one-way. The reverse windshield introduced on the AB 110 and AB 95 is an example of reverse cross-fertilisation: a sporty yacht benefiting from greater interior liveability, an area in which Maiora has historically been very strong.

The point is to maintain strong and recognisable identities. Cross-fertilisation is useful if it enriches the brands, not if it makes them similar.

PM – AB Yachts also seems to have evolved: less extreme boat, more sport yacht.

GM – That is exactly right. AB Yachts must continue to go fast; that is in its DNA. But we have moved from the concept of an almost racing-style boat to that of a sport yacht. Today the range includes models with very high performance, but with a more liveable approach.

It is a modern reinterpretation of the brand: category-leading performance, but less extremisation. This has allowed us to increase the quality distributed on board, introducing richer, more technological solutions that are more consistent with real use of the yacht.

An AB can be compared to a Porsche 911: it is an iconic model, capable of high performance, but the owner also wants to enjoy it beyond speed alone. The same applies to our yachts.

PM – The new partnership with Brabus also fits into this evolution of AB Yachts. What does it mean for the brand?

GM – It is a partnership born from a strong affinity of vision. With Brabus we share the idea of high-performance luxury with a strong identity, capable of generating immediate impact while also expressing quality, research and extreme attention to detail.

For AB Yachts it represents a further step in the process of enhancing the brand: it is not simply a matter of applying a stylistic language to a yacht, but of working together on a new interpretation of performance and the onboard experience. Brabus brings very strong, recognisable and international DNA; AB Yachts brings its know-how in the construction of high-performance Made in Italy yachts. It is a very natural meeting, allowing us to open a new chapter while strengthening our identity.

PM – Will dimensional growth lead you towards metal construction?

GM – Yes. We have reached a threshold that marks the boundary between composite and metal, not so much because of structural limits of composite, but because of strategic choice and owner sensitivity. We could even go up to 50 metres in composite, but beyond a certain size, customisation requests and a perception of robustness come into play, steering the choice towards metal.

Maiora will find its composite flagship in the 42-metre range, while AB Yachts will go beyond 45 metres. We are looking very closely at the 50-metre segment below 500 GT, which represents a fundamental pillar of the growth plan and will lead us into the world of metal.

PM – One of your points of pride is using an almost entirely Made in Tuscany supply chain: how do you plan to preserve this characteristic as you grow in size?

GM – It will not be easy, because we operate in one of the most important districts in the world for recreational yachting, with very strong players. But we are convinced we can defend the Tuscan nature of the product. To do this, strategic acquisitions have been made. This will allow us to support our positioning as “100% made in Italy”, or rather “made in Tuscany”, an expression of which we are proud.

The reason is simple: we want to remain a boutique. Volume logic is secondary to quality logic. We are not interested in compromising on finishes, standards or product consistency in order to pursue easier margins.

PM – So you do not want to compete on price.

GM – No. When price becomes the centre of the discussion with the owner, for us it means that the dialogue has taken the wrong direction. The path we are following is to transform Next Yacht Group not into a simple shipyard, but into a boutique.

You do not enter a boutique looking for the lowest price tag. You enter because you want a tailored product, consistent with an idea of quality and identity. With us, you are probably not buying the most affordable 30-metre yacht on the market, but you are buying a richer, more spacious, more carefully finished product, more consistent with a specific vision.

PM – Where is the boundary between industrialisation and craftsmanship?

GM – It is a central point. Ours is a profession in which one must accept a physiological degree of inefficiency. We cannot think like the automotive industry, with configurators and predefined layouts. We do not sell layout A, B or C. Even when we build in fibreglass, every yacht is different from the next. Our limit is to maintain the family feeling and the distinctiveness of the model, but within that perimeter the client customises their yacht. This is precisely the value of our work.

There is a physiological limit to the efficiency that can be introduced into an Italian Yacht Boutique. Beyond that limit, there is a risk of spending energy in search of efficiency that does not produce real value.

PM – Has the owner profile changed in recent years, and if so how?

GM – The average age of owners is falling. New millionaires and billionaires are often younger, also thanks to digital businesses that allow very high levels of wealth to be reached in shorter timeframes than in the past. But the change is not only about age. The approach to yachting is changing. New owners are looking for fewer traditional schemes and fewer objects in the strict sense. They are looking for experiences, or rather quality time. For us, this concept is central. If an owner is looking for relaxation and conviviality, Maiora can be the answer. If they are looking for performance and adrenaline, AB Yachts interprets another type of quality time. The yacht becomes an enabler of authentic moments, not simply a means of transport.

PM – Does this also change yacht layouts?

GM – Very much so. Priorities become more open, more connected, more flexible spaces. The 42 Exuma was also born from this reflection. The traditional main-deck saloon, in many cases, is used much less than one might imagine. So why sacrifice space and glazing to preserve a convention? We chose to rethink the distribution, placing the owner’s suite and guest suites all on the main deck and also overcoming a certain implicit classification of guests on board. Spaces must be convivial, but not rigid. Contemporary conviviality is dynamic, less formal, more versatile.

PM – So must design become more recognisable?

GM – Yes. Today the client is not only looking for a category of yacht, but for a solution consistent with their lifestyle at that moment. And lifestyle can change. There are owners who move from AB to Maiora and vice versa, because they are looking for different experiences at different times.

Design must be distinctive, less conventional, but without losing what for us remains an Italian Timeless Beauty. The objective is to create products that also have an intrinsic value of beauty. Not only functional objects, but yachts capable of expressing identity.

Giorgio Maria Cassetta was able to interpret this need very well. He gave shape to a complex brief, with a strong ability to read empathetically our requirements and the positioning of the product.

PM – Let us turn to artificial intelligence. What is the Next AI-Integrated System?

GM – It is a multidisciplinary project developed with the involvement of various companies, including AI Technologies, a Pisa-based company within the industrial ecosystem attributable to the same ownership as the Group, specialising in local natural language models. The idea is to equip the yacht with a “local brain”. Today it is easy to talk about artificial intelligence, but for us the central issue is the data chain. Security and privacy are now essential elements. For this reason we have developed a local system, which works without depending on the Internet, in any condition and with specific knowledge of the yacht on which it is installed.

We have filed a patent application for the Next AI-Integrated System and, during the patent examination, the comparative patents proposed all came from the automotive sector. This confirmed to us that we were working on an innovative theme even beyond the nautical perimeter.

PM – In practical terms, what can the system do?

GM – The system integrates with onboard systems: NMEA network, domotics, monitoring, navigation and communication. If I ask the yacht how many litres of fuel I have, it does not send me to a menu or a helm screen: it answers directly. The interface changes completely. I no longer have to physically reach a point on the yacht to access data; I can interact with the system naturally. The system also contains the manuals, helps with troubleshooting, domotics management, onboard control and navigation.

Today it is accessed through the My Maiora and My AB Yachts apps. This year we will also release voice interaction, with commands such as “Hey AB” or “Hey Maiora”.

PM – The real development seems to be predictive maintenance.

GM – Exactly. We want to move from a reactive support and maintenance logic to a predictive one. Today, a yacht service, like a car service, is based on hours of use or elapsed time. But not everyone uses the yacht in the same way.

If the system knows the yacht and how it is used, it can become increasingly expert. It can flag abnormal consumption, suggest checks and help the crew before a problem becomes critical. It will never replace people, but it will increase their efficiency.

PM – Will it also be able to communicate with the shipyard or suppliers?

GM – In the next versions, yes. Today the system mainly lives on board, but it can communicate externally in a hybrid logic and always with prior user authorisation. If the system does not know an answer, it can ask permission to access external information.

From 2026, all our yachts will be equipped with the Next AI-Integrated System and a SIM. The idea is to allow, always on a voluntary basis, information to be sent to the shipyard or manufacturers, somewhat like what happens with mobile devices when users are asked whether they want to send a report.

PM – Let us talk about sustainability. How appropriate is it to talk about “green” in yachting?

GM – If green is reduced exclusively to CO2, NOx or greenhouse gas emissions, the reasoning becomes very limited. It is clear that talking about sustainability on yachts with thousands of horsepower may seem contradictory, but the issue is broader.

We prefer to talk about sustainability across several axes. The first is weight: reducing the overall weight of the yacht directly affects efficiency and therefore the energy required for propulsion. Then there is hydrodynamic efficiency: reducing hull drag means consuming less and navigating better. Then there are hull treatments, such as silicone antifouling coatings, which reduce resistance and can significantly lower biocide content. This is also sustainability: polluting the sea less, not only reducing atmospheric emissions.

PM – What other fronts are you working on?

GM – We use innovative, ultra-lightweight glass with high thermal resistance. Being lighter, it reduces the yacht’s weight; by transmitting less heat, it allows the air-conditioning system to be downsized, with benefits in terms of energy consumption.

We are also studying materials alternative to fibreglass for non-structural components, for example in outdoor furniture. In this way we can improve sustainability without compromising the yacht’s mechanical and structural properties.

PM – Is the owner willing to pay more for these solutions?

GM – The concept of sustainable luxury is now fairly consolidated. Owners are attentive to the issue, also because sustainability has become part of the new concept of luxury. However, when it comes to the details of expenditure, a cost-benefit assessment is always made.

Sustainability must also be sustainable from an economic and operational point of view. Otherwise it risks becoming greenwashing or a conference topic, rather than a solution that can genuinely be applied to a yacht. One example is hydrogen. It can make sense for ferries operating on fixed routes, with reliable infrastructure. But for pleasure or charter yachts intended for demanding and unpredictable owners, tying oneself to an energy source that is not available everywhere may not be the most effective choice.

PM – If we met again in five years’ time, where would you like to see Next Yacht Group?

GM – In 2031, I would like to be able to say that Next Yacht Group is perceived by the market as the reference “100% Italian Yacht Boutique”. A benchmark for those seeking luxury, quality, technology and innovation without compromise, but above all for those seeking quality time.

Our yachts must not be seen as means of transport, nor merely as generators of experiences, an expression that has now become somewhat overused. They must be recognised as true enablers of authentic time, lived by the owner and their guests.

Each brand expresses this value in a different way: AB Yachts for those seeking adrenaline and performance, Maiora for those seeking relaxation and conviviality, Maiora Exuma for those who do not want to give anything up. If in five years we are recognised not only for our ability to offer yachts, but for our ability to offer valuable time, then we will be able to say that we have achieved our goal. Without ever losing our boutique identity because, in the end, true exclusivity does not consist in being seen by everyone, but in being recognised by those who know how to appreciate the value of authentic things.