Development of innovative concepts of nautical service clusters: Yacht Valley

Closed

Services such as maintenance, repairs, upgrades and the sale of boat accessories are economically and functionally a key part of the nautical sector. They are also of vital importance for employment and the local economy in the 2 Seas area. Facing a growing market demand, the Yacht Valley project aims to develop new nautical service centers to group these services in one location where several companies, offering different expertise and specialties, can provide the sector with services related to buying, maintaining and improving yachts. Potentially suitable areas for such service centres have been identified in Hellevoetsluis (NL), Ramsgate (UK), Vlissingen (NL), Dunkerque (FR) and Nieuwpoort (BE), using sites with differing former uses. These sites will be redeveloped to allow for new activities and in some cases, the integration of existing companies. The involvement of Local Authorities, waterway managers, businesses and trade organisations ensures that there is true knowledge and expertise exchange and a wide range of services being offered. A guideline document, publishing all the results of the project activities, will serve as a transferrable model for partners outside the 2 Seas area to adopt.

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