15 ° C
Profile

Tag: monaco

Monaco PropTech Symposia: how technology is reshaping the property market

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
23/03/2026

Nearly 300 investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers gathered at the Yacht Club de Monaco on 19th March for the fifth edition of the Monaco PropTech Symposia, an annual forum organised by Monaco’s government to track how technology is transforming the global property industry.

The event, held under the theme ‘PropTech: Accelerator of Innovation & Growth in Real Estate’, brought together some of the sector’s leading voices to assess both where the market stands and where it is heading.

While previous editions had largely celebrated the arrival of new technologies, this time, the conversation was about real world impact. The main question was: how are these tools now actively changing how property is built, bought and managed?

Nearly $45 billion and counting

Real estate technology attracted $44.81 billion in global investment in the 2024–25 financial year, according to the annual Real Estate Tech Barometer produced in partnership with ESCP Business School.

To put that in context, the entire sector raised less than $10 billion a year before 2018.

Artificial Intelligence featured heavily in discussions, with speakers pointing to practical applications already in use: tools that can predict property values with high accuracy, software that automates buffing management, and platforms that speed up mortgage approvals from weeks to hours.

During the conference, photo credit: Monaco Life

A new way to spot opportunities

One of the centrepieces of this year’s Barometer is a new analytical tool: the Real Estate Tech Market Penetration Opportunity Index, developed by the ESCP team in Monaco.

Professor Jaime Luque, who directs the Monaco Real Estate Tech Innovation program, explained to Monaco Life what it offers. “You pick a technology, pick a country, and I will tell you the opportunity for your company to penetrate that market — in terms of competitors, the industry, innovation. We have already incorporated around 200 technology niches, and next year it’s going to be the whole world.”

In plain terms, the index helps investors understand whether a given technology in a given country is still wide open or already crowded. For example, early findings point to France and Germany as strong opportunities for AI-driven property valuation, while France and the UK lead for digital mortgage platforms.

The symposium was organised by Monaco’s Interministerial Delegation for Digital Transition. Speakers included Miguel Nigorra, Partner and Head of Europe at Fifth Wall, one of the most active real estate technology investors globally, alongside Ahmed Mahil, chief executive of construction technology firm LUYTEN 3D, and Jesse Witkowski, founder of DFX.

The event was opened by Ludmilla Raconnat Le Goff, the delegate responsible for attractiveness at the Minister of State’s office, who framed innovation as central to Monaco’s appeal to international business. Pascal Rouison, head of the digital transition delegation, closed proceedings

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Communication’s Department 

Princess Akiko joins Prince Albert and Princess Charlene to open Japan Day in Monaco

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
23/03/2026

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, joined by Princess Akiko of Mikasa, officially opened Japan Day in Monaco on Saturday morning, marking 20 years of diplomatic relations between the Principality and Japan. 

The ceremony took place at 11 am on the esplanade of the Grimaldi Forum, where a large crowd of officials, guests and members of the public gathered to watch the celebrations unfold.

On arrival, a bouquet was presented to Princess Charlene, followed by a second bouquet to Princess Akiko, before the official speeches got underway.

Twenty years of friendship

Prince Albert II spoke in French, while Princess Akiko addressed the crowd in Japanese, with translators on hand for both.

The Prince talked about the closeness of the two nations, noting that throughout 2026, a series of events are set to take place in both Monaco and Tokyo, spanning the arts, food, culture and music, as well as deeper exchanges at a diplomatic level.

Prince Albert II during his speech, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

He also pointed to the 1.5 million Japanese visitors Monaco has welcomed as a testament to the affection the two peoples share, and expressed his personal gratitude to Princess Akiko for making the journey to the Principality.

On her part, Princess Akiko spoke warmly of the ties between the two countries, and drew attention to the Japanese Garden as a symbol of that friendship. Special mention was also made to Prince Rainier III, who built the garden with stones and materials brought directly from Japan.

Princess Akiko during her speech, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

After the speeches, the esplanade came alive with a powerful taiko drumming performance by Wako Rising Sun, followed by a poetic choreography from Mimoza Koike, principal dancer with the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, performed to live taiko accompaniment.

During the spectacle, photo credit: Monaco Life

Into the Japanese Garden

When the spectacle wrapped up, Princess Akiko walked through the Japanese Garden with members of the public, as the rest of the day’s programme including craft exhibitions, Washi-Sakura workshops and a second taiko performance continued across the garden and the Grimaldi Forum esplanade until 5pm.

The event was organised by the Embassy of Monaco in Japan, the Embassy of Japan in Monaco, and the Monaco Friends of Japan Association.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène open Saint Dévote Rugby Tournament

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
22/03/2026

Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, Princess Gabriella and Princess Akiko of Mikasa were present on March 20th to officially launch the 14th edition of the Saint Dévote Tournament, as 24 junior rugby teams from across the world gathered at the Stade Louis II.

The opening ceremony kicked off at 2pm, with all 24 teams parading before the Prince and Princesses. Each team’s captain was dressed in traditional clothing from their home nation, waving to the crowd.

France’s team parading before the crowds, photo by Monaco Life

The procession concluded with the ceremonial official group photograph bringing together the captains, Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, Princess Gabriella and Princess Akiko of Mikasa.

Then, pool play kicked off at 2:30pm.

Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, Princess Gabriella, Princess Akiko of Mikasa and the captains of the teams during the official group photo, photo by Monaco Life

Thirty-six matches took place across Friday afternoon and evening, played simultaneously across two pitches named in honour of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.

The competition was divided into six pools of four teams each (A through F) with every side playing the other three teams in their pool on Friday, before the knockout stages on Saturday. The final pool matches concluded around 6:30pm.

All matches were played in a seven-a-side format with 13-minute games, and all players were under 12 years old.

During the tournament, photo by Monaco Life

The tournament is organised by the Fédération Monégasque de Rugby, presided over by Princess Charlene, in partnership with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, and is officially recognised by both World Rugby and Rugby Europe.

This year’s competition marked the most international edition to date, with 24 teams representing 23 nations. Sides travelled from South Africa, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Japan, India, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Ecuador, Georgia, Greece, the United States, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Andorra, and the United Arab Emirates, while Monaco was also represented.

Saturday brought the knockout stages, with the Bowl, Trophy and Cup competitions all decided across a packed day of rugby.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

How the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is trying to put real money behind ocean conservation

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
20/03/2026

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation presented its 2025 impact report presentation on Thursday 19th March at Marius, giving donors and partners a glimpse of what lies ahead.

In his speech, Romain Ciarlet, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, was careful to make one thing clear. “We raised these funds from investors, not donors — I want to specify that. It’s very important.”

He was talking about the ReOcean Fund, the Foundation’s impact investment vehicle, which targets companies delivering measurable benefits to ocean health. It has raised €75 million against a €100 million target and will complete four new investments totalling roughly €20 million in 2026. It is, by any measure, a significant departure from the grant-making that has defined environmental philanthropy for decades.

The reason for the shift is that young companies with credible solutions struggle to access the capital they need to scale, and donors alone cannot fill that gap. So the Foundation has positioned itself as a bridge, using its networks and credibility to bring commercial investors into territory they might otherwise avoid.

And this approach is already producing results. One recent investment is in Bound4Blue, a Spanish firm founded by aerospace engineers, whose rigid suction sails can reduce fuel consumption on commercial vessels by 15 to 20 per cent. Another is in NatureMetrics, a British company that uses environmental DNA to measure biodiversity, a tool increasingly in demand as corporate biodiversity reporting requirements tighten.

Turning talks into commitments

The Foundation’s initiatives have also translated into hard commitments, with the most convincing example being the Blue Economy and Finance Forum, which it hosted ahead of last year’s United Nations Ocean Conference. The Forum mobilised €8.7 billion in new pledges toward 2030 ocean goals. A second edition now takes place on 28th and 29th May 2026. “These were not just talks,” Ciarlet said. “There were commitments.”

Funding the people who live in nature

However, investment is only one part of the equation for the Foundation. On the other end of the scale sits work that supports people that actually bear the consequences.

In Pakistan’s Indus Delta, home to one of the world’s largest mangrove ecosystems, the Foundation supported a project run by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that Ciarlet described as emblematic of the Foundation’s vision.

“It led to the creation of two marine protected areas, the restoration of nearly seven thousand hectares of degraded mangrove ecosystems, and it really empowered communities,” he said. “Mangroves absorb carbon and restore biodiversity — it’s common sense.” Thousands of local people were trained and helped to build livelihoods that work with nature rather than against it.

Romain Ciarlet during the presentation, photo credit: Monaco Life

Backing Indigenous communities directly

That model – funding communities directly, bypassing international intermediaries – runs through most of the Foundation’s land-based work.

In 2026, three Indigenous-led organisations will begin on-the-ground implementation of forest protection projects in the Amazon Basin, the Congo Basin and South-East Asia, following a competitive selection process that drew over 80 applicants. “We do everything to empower local communities, and especially Indigenous communities around the globe,” Ciarlet said.

Studies suggest that 91 per cent of land managed by Indigenous communities is in good or fair ecological condition. Protecting forests through the people who actually live in them, the Foundation argues, is simply more effective than the alternative.

Also in 2026

Other initiatives include the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, co-founded by the Foundation in 2020, which will distribute an estimated €12 million across programmes in seven countries in a second funding round.

Meanwhile, The Donors’ Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE) will hold its first ever Forum in Croatia to mark its fifth anniversary.

The MedFund will continue expanding its support for Mediterranean marine protected areas, with €760,000 in new five-year funding approved for protected areas in Turkey, Croatia and Lebanon.

And lastly, the Re.Generation programme will welcome a new class of young environmental leaders to Monaco from 22nd to 31st May.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Monaco Life

Monaco fire brigade welcomes French civil protection commander

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
19/03/2026

The Monaco Fire Brigade received a high-ranking French military official on Tuesday, as General Pierre de Villeneuve, commander of the French Civil Security Military Brigade (BMSC), paid an official visit to the Principality.

The BMSC is a specialist organisation of around 1,700 rescue personnel drawn from four army engineering regiments based across France. Operating under the authority of the Interior Ministry, the brigade can mobilise 300 soldiers within a matter of hours, deploying them to respond to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and wildfires, as well as chemical, radiological and biological incidents.

General de Villeneuve’s visit began at the La Condamine fire station, where he reviewed the fire guard before receiving a full briefing from Lieutenant-Colonel Maxime Yvrard, the brigade’s commanding officer. He then watched the ceremonial changing of the Prince’s Carabiniers Guard at the Palace Square.

An official lunch followed, attended by Lionel Beffre, Monaco’s Minister of the Interior, senior officers, and the General himself, who signed the unit’s guest book.

The afternoon was spent at the Fontvieille fire station, where he was shown Monaco’s emergency operations centre and a range of new equipment and projects.

How the relationship was formed

The two units point to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster as a defining moment in their relationship, when they worked side by side in one of the most challenging rescue operations in recent memory.

Cooperation between the two services if formalised under a Franco-Monegasque agreement, which allows Monaco firefighters to be embedded within French rescue teams during major disasters abroad.

In a practical sign of that partnership, nine BMSC soldiers will join the Monaco Fire Brigade to help provide security during the 2026 Grand Prix

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Communication’s Department 

Espresso Riviera night train cancelled for summer 2026

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
18/03/2026

Travellers hoping to wake up to views of the Mediterranean coastline this summer have been served with disappointment.

FS Treni Turistici Italiani, the tourism arm of Italy’s state railway group, has confirmed that its popular Espresso Riviera night train will not run in 2026 — despite strong demand and a sell-out debut season just last year.

The service, which connected Rome with Marseille via Nice and Monaco, has been suspended due to that the company describes as “operational limitations at the Ventimiglia border”.

Behind the scenes, running an international train involves significant complexity. To operate in France, a train requires a locomotive compatible with the French network and drivers authorised to drive on it, conditions that have proven impossible to meet this year.

A promising start, now on hold

The Espresso Riviera first ran in 2024 as Nice-Milan service, though the debut was not without its own difficulties. Back then, the planned stop at Monaco had to be cancelled at the last minute due to concerns over diesel emissions in the station’s underground ventilation system.

However, the issue was resolved, and by 2025 the train added Monaco as part of its expanded Rome-Marseille route.

That 2025 service, which offered passengers retro-style shared couchettes and private cabins, sold out across all nine weekends it ran between July and August, carrying more than 3,500 passengers.

Until a few days ago, it has been expected to return bigger than ever, with more departures and a longer season running from June to September.

What happens now

FS Treni Turistici Italiani says it is working with partners to bring the service back, though no timeline has been given. The company has directly contacted customers who had already reached out to its service team. For now, the platforms of Nice, Monaco and Marseille will have to wait — and so will the passengers who were counting on arriving there in style

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: FS Treni Turistici Italiani