Navico Group and Elettromedia have announced a strategic partnership focused on more integrated marine audio systems for boatbuilders. The agreement brings Navico's experience in marine electronics and vessel integration together with Elettromedia's Audison and Hertz audio brands.
The companies say the objective is to make premium audio operate more naturally within the wider onboard technology ecosystem. That means treating sound systems as part of a connected boat rather than as an isolated accessory added after the helm and control systems are specified.
Boatbuilders are the immediate focus
The partnership is aimed at OEM customers, so the first audience is boat manufacturers developing integrated factory packages. Navico's digital controls and electronics can provide the vessel-side platform while Elettromedia contributes specialist amplifier, speaker and audio-system expertise.
No single new retail product was announced with the partnership, and the companies have not presented it as a stand-alone retrofit launch. The significance is instead in the engineering relationship and the possibility of closer integration at the boat-design and production stage.
Connected systems move further into leisure boats
Smaller leisure boats increasingly combine navigation, switching, engine data, entertainment and connectivity on shared digital networks. Bringing audio into that environment can reduce duplicated controls and give owners a more consistent interface across systems.
Another supplier alliance to watch
The announcement was made during the Cannes Yachting Festival, where electronics suppliers and boatbuilders were presenting their next generation of onboard systems. Leisure Boat Guide will watch for the first production boats and products that emerge from the Navico-Elettromedia relationship before treating the partnership as a specific equipment launch.