Hydro Tec e NESS1 alla Genova Design Week 2026
09/06/2026
Hydro Tec Strengthens Its Leadership with the Appointment of Myriam Cutolo as Executive Vice President
16/07/2026Hydro Tec e NESS1 alla Genova Design Week 2026
09/06/2026Hydro Tec Strengthens Its Leadership with the Appointment of Myriam Cutolo as Executive Vice President
16/07/2026
Sergio Cutolo receives the XXXV “Pioneers of the Nautical Industry” Award
by Confindustria Nautica – 2026 Edition
Forty years of Italian naval architecture on the world stage, recognised by the sector’s highest authority.
4 June 2026 — Borgo Egnazia, Brindisi
Naval architect Sergio Cutolo, founder and creative force behind Hydro Tec, has received the XXXV Pioneers of the Nautical Industry Award in the Designers & Naval Architects category, at the ceremony held on 4 June 2026 at Borgo Egnazia (Brindisi), during the SATEC Convention organised by Confindustria Nautica.
Established in 1988 and under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, the Pioneers of the Nautical Industry Award is one of the most prestigious recognitions in the Italian nautical industry. The awards were presented by the jury chaired by Admiral Sergio Liardo, Commander General of the Italian Coast Guard, and by Confindustria Nautica President Piero Formenti. The ceremony was hosted by Donatella Bianchi, one of Italy’s most authoritative voices on maritime culture.
Born in Naples — a city where the sea is woven into the very fabric of daily life — Cutolo turned a lifelong passion for the sea into one of the most significant careers in international naval architecture. Over forty years of practice, Hydro Tec has delivered nearly 170 projects, including more than 50 Explorer yachts — a figure that few design studios worldwide can match, and one that has helped redefine an entire category of yachting.
Official Award Citation
"Recognised for elevating Italian nautical design to the highest international levels, distinguished by engineering expertise, innovative vision and design sensitivity. Forty years of activity, iconic projects that have redefined the standards of Explorer yachts and international naval architecture, combining technical excellence with stylistic research. Through the founding and leadership of world-renowned studios, he has contributed to spreading the prestige, creativity and excellence of Italian Made in Italy across the globe, becoming a benchmark for the entire international yachting industry."
In Sergio Cutolo’s Own Words
"Forty years in which this world has changed in an incredible way. Forty years ago, shipyards were small — in Italy there were perhaps two or three yards with a technical office. Today it is an industry — an industry that is finally being recognised at national level too, because outside Italy it has long been well known.»
«Forty incredible years — it is a wonderful story. I want to keep going, I want to reach at least fifty, and see what happens."
Hydro Tec expresses its gratitude to Confindustria Nautica for this recognition. An award that belongs to Sergio Cutolo, but equally to every person who, over these forty years, has contributed project by project to building what Hydro Tec is today.
