Sustainable Marine Alliance

What Sustainable Marine Alliance does

The Sustainable Marine Alliance (SMA) is a Switzerland-based, non-profit industry alliance established at the end of 2022 by Anne-Cécile Turner, Pierre Germeau and Kellie Covington, with operational roots in the Sustainable Boat Building Innovation Workshop Series (2017–2022) co-hosted with The Ocean Race. Its stated mission is to accelerate ocean-health restoration by convening previously fragmented actors across the recreational marine sector — boat builders, sailing teams, race organisers, governing bodies, and marine-research institutes — around five programmes: Sustainable Boat Building, Ocean Science, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Ocean Biodiversity Protection, and Sustainable Teams & Events. The organisation does not develop proprietary technology products; instead, it operates a community-led model delivering coordination services, including the co-created Industry Roadmap 2030, a Shared Industry Knowledge Hub, innovation workshops, webinars, and standards-development projects such as the 16-manufacturer Environmental Footprint methodology (led by European Boating Industry with Quantis) and the SGS INTRON-verified LCA on cement co-processing of end-of-life composites.

Commercially, SMA is funded entirely through tiered annual membership fees ranging from €500 (start-ups, young companies, NGOs) to €10,000 (corporate members with turnover above $1B), with intermediate tiers at €1,000 (small), €2,000 (medium) and €5,000 (large organisations). It takes no external investment and has no parent entity. Its go-to-market is community-led: outreach occurs through direct engagement, its website, partner-network amplification (World Sailing, IMOCA, EBI, ICOMIA, Carbon Trust, Ifremer, UNESCO), and flagship-event integration (notably the Vendée Globe's 10 environmental commitments for its 2024 edition). Strategic positioning rests on being a neutral convener in a competitive sector, aggregating otherwise dispersed sustainability initiatives into shared standards, tools, and a participation pipeline for emerging ocean-data collection via low-cost sensors and satellite transmission.

Name

Sustainable Marine Alliance

Legal name

Sustainable Marine Alliance

Website

https://www.sustainablemarinealliance.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sustainable Marine Alliance is a Lausanne-based non-profit industry alliance founded in 2022 that convenes boat manufacturers, sailing teams, governing bodies, and research institutes to coordinate sustainability initiatives across the recreational marine sector, funded by tiered annual membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Industry Sustainability Alliance Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine sustainability services
• Industry alliance programs
• Recreational boating sector
• Environmental footprint standard
• Ocean science consortium

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The Alliance generates revenue through annual membership fees structured by organization size: Corporate organizations (turnover >$1B) pay €10,000/year; Large organizations (>€10M turnover) pay €5,000/year; Medium organizations (<€10M OR 50-250 employees) pay €2,000/year; Small organizations (10-50 employees) pay €1,000/year; Start-ups, young companies, and NGOs pay €500/year. Benefits include website recognition, networking events, webinars, access to project resources, and notification of new projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sustainable Marine Alliance is an industry alliance that coordinates sustainability programmes for the recreational marine sector through tiered annual memberships and collaborative programmes. Its core services include an Industry Roadmap tool for measuring sustainability performance, a Tools and Best Practices knowledge center, webinars/events/workshops, a Communication Platform for member recognition, and Innovation Pathway Development for decarbonisation projects. The Alliance organizes these services around five strategic programmes: Sustainable Boat Building, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Ocean Science Consortium, Ocean Biodiversity Protection, and Sustainable Teams and Events.

Product overview

The Sustainable Marine Alliance is an industry alliance organization offering a platform of sustainability services and programmes for the recreational marine industry. The core service portfolio includes an Industry Roadmap tool for measuring sustainability performance, a Tools and Best Practices knowledge center, Webinars/Events/Workshops for networking, a Communication Platform for promotion, and Innovation Pathway Development for decarbonisation projects. These services are organized around five strategic programmes: Sustainable Boat Building (with the Industry Roadmap 2030 and Shared Industry Knowledge Hub), Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Ocean Science Consortium, Ocean Biodiversity Protection, and Sustainable Teams and Events. Members gain access to the shared industry platform, networking events, project resources, and opportunities to collaborate on ocean restoration initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainable Boat Building Programme Industry collaboration programme scaling progress against the co-created Industry Roadmap 2030, addressing materials, waste, energy and enablers in boat construction for boat manufacturers and marine industry stakeholders.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programme Initiative to increase access and facilitate pathways for underrepresented groups in the recreational marine industry.
• Ocean Science Consortium Programme Collaborative programme progressing ocean science using standardized protocols, integrating data collection from the recreational boating fleet under the UNESCO-IOC umbrella and aligned with the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
• Ocean Biodiversity Protection Programme Programme establishing protocols for marine mammal observation and protection along race routes, working with scientific partners to minimize collision risk between racing boats and marine megafauna.
• Sustainable Teams and Events Programme Platform creating sustainability advocacy opportunities for sailing teams and marine events, including implementation of environmental commitments for races such as the Vendée Globe.
• Industry Roadmap 2030 Co-created industry-wide roadmap advancing actions under Materials, Waste, Energy and Enablers pillars for sustainable boat building in the recreational marine industry.
• Shared Industry Knowledge Hub Digital platform hosting case studies, materials data, best practices, and a library of failed trials for industry learning, supporting sustainable boat building and broader marine sustainability initiatives.
• Annual Membership (Tiered) Membership subscription with tiered annual fees ranging from €500 (start-ups/NGOs) to €10,000 (corporate members with turnover above $1B), providing website recognition, networking events, webinars, project resources, and notifications of involvement opportunities for members across the marine industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each ton of end-of-life composite waste treated in cement facility saves up to 1 ton of CO2 compared to traditional waste incineration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with UNESCO to coordinate oceanographic measurement instrument embarkation on Vendée Globe race vessels, part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
• World SailingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022World Sailing is represented on the Alliance's Advisory Board. The organization supports the Alliance's sustainability initiatives and participates in collaborative efforts to advance ocean health restoration across sailing sports.
• SGS INTRONsupportingTechnology or IntegrationIndependent testing and certification body commissioned by nine industry associations to prepare Life Cycle Assessment report on cement co-processing of end-of-life composites.
• The Ocean RacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ocean Race collaborated with the Alliance to host 4 Sustainable Boat Building Innovation Workshop Series (2017-2022), bringing together 80+ companies. The Race contributed the workshop series that formed the foundation of the sustainable boat building program and built the beta platform for the shared industry knowledge hub.
• IMOCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMOCA is represented on the Advisory Board and collaborated on the Green Sail Rule development. The class implements sustainability measures including carbon caps and sail limitations for racing boats.
• Carbon TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon Trust is represented on the Alliance's Advisory Board, contributing expertise in maritime decarbonisation and sustainability measurement.
• IfremercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench marine research institute collaborating on ocean science programs including the low-cost oceanographic sensor project with Oceano Vox for data collection via sailing boats, targeting Vendée Globe 2024 deployment.
• Vendée Globe FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndowment fund established by SAEM Vendée and Département de la Vendée with founding members including Crédit Agricole Atlantique Vendée, Crédit Mutuel Océan, and Banque Populaire Grand Ouest to support marine ecosystem research projects.
• European Boating Industry (EBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEBI leads the Environmental Footprint Standard project involving 16 manufacturers and 8 associations. The project develops industry standard methodology for measuring environmental footprint of boats under 24 meters based on EU Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules.
• QuantissupportingTechnology or IntegrationEnvironmental sustainability consultancy selected as technical partner for the Environmental Footprint Standard project, providing expertise in Life Cycle Assessment methodology.
• ICOMIAsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Council of Marine Industry Associations serves as strategic partner for the Environmental Footprint Standard project to ensure global alignment of methodology.
• EuCIAsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Composites Industry Association among nine industry associations calling for recognition of cement co-processing as a recycling process for end-of-life composites.
• Oceano VoxsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStart-up developing low-cost oceanographic sensors the size of smartphones for temperature and salinity measurement, partnered with Ifremer for the Vendée Globe 2024 data collection project.
• KineissupportingTechnology or IntegrationSatellite company providing nano-satellite network for optimal data collection from oceanographic sensors deployed on sailing vessels in the participative science project.
• Boat Manufacturers ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner16 European boat manufacturers (Amel Yachts, Amer Yachts, Azimut|Benetti Group, Bavaria Yachts, Beneteau Group, Cantiere del Pardo, Catana Group, Ferretti Group, Fountaine Pajot, Grand Large Yachting, Greenline, Inha Works, Sanlorenzo, Sasga, Sunreef, Sunseeker) collaborating on Environmental Footprint Standard.
• Marine Industry AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner8 associations (BVWW, FIN, HISWARECRON, Finnboat, Confindustria Nautica, Polboat, ANEN, British Marine) collaborating on Environmental Footprint Standard project through groups of small manufacturers.
• Winds of ChangesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning initiative bridging divides and promoting peace by bringing together young people from both sides of Cyprus through sailing. Winner of World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award.
• Share The OceansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransdisciplinary scientific consortium working with Vendée Globe Foundation to delineate biodiversity protection zones along race route and minimize collision risk between IMOCA boats and marine megafauna.
• Over the SwellsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation working to protect the ocean through wonder, education, and oceanographic missions. Supported by Vendée Globe Foundation for Mission William to understand whale shark migratory routes.
• Sustainable Mountain AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss-based sister organization established in 2021 as a collaborative platform for sustainable sports and tourism in mountains. Both alliances share founders including Anne-Cécile Turner, Pierre Germeau, and Kellie Covington.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sustainable Mountain Alliance: Swiss-based sister organization sharing co-founders (Anne-Cécile Turner, Pierre Germeau, Kellie Covington). Operates an identical alliance model applied to sustainable sports and tourism in mountains, making it the most direct comparable for the Sustainable Marine Alliance's structure and value proposition.
• World Sailing Trust: Charity focused on sustainability within the sport of sailing, run by World Sailing. Directly comparable because it operates the same target sector (recreational sailing) with a similar mission of integrating sustainability into the industry, and collaborates with the SMA on the Sustainability Agenda 2030.
• Sailors for the Sea: Non-profit ocean conservation organization engaging the sailing and boating community in environmental action. Directly comparable as a community-led platform that mobilizes recreational marine stakeholders for sustainability outcomes, similar to the SMA's model.

Broad incumbents

• European Boating Industry (EBI): European-level trade association representing the recreational boating industry. Broadly comparable because it advocates for the same boat-building constituency on sustainability issues (e.g., leading the Environmental Footprint Standard project), but it operates as a wider industry representative rather than a sustainability-focused alliance.
• International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA): Global trade association for the marine industry covering recreational boating, superyacht, and other marine sectors. Comparable as a global-level industry coordination body serving overlapping stakeholders, and a strategic partner of the SMA on the Environmental Footprint Standard project.

Emerging players

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Charity focused on accelerating the transition to a circular economy, including marine plastics and boat-building materials. Member of the SMA advisory board and thematically aligned on circular-economy approaches to marine industry sustainability.
• Race for Water Foundation: Swiss-based foundation using sailing vessels to raise awareness about ocean plastic pollution. Operates in the same marine-sustainability niche, leveraging sailing as a platform for conservation outcomes—narrower scope than the SMA but conceptually aligned.

Others

• Ocean Conservancy: Major US-based ocean conservation NGO working on issues from plastic pollution to sustainable fisheries. Thematically related through ocean health restoration mission, but operates as a traditional advocacy NGO rather than an industry-alliance model.
• Surfrider Foundation: Grassroots ocean conservation organization engaging surfers and beach communities. Adjacent as a marine-focused NGO with a community-led model, but targets ocean recreation rather than the marine industrial value chain.
• 11th Hour Racing: Philanthropic foundation of the Schmidt Family focused on sustainability in sailing and marine sports. Connected through the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award (which the SMA's Winds of Change winners received) and overlapping target audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-marine-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Marine Alliance