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Monaco Yacht Club upgrades its marina with smart mooring system

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
10/03/2026

The Yacht Club de Monaco has upgraded part of its marina with an intelligent hydraulic damping system aimed at keeping boats more secure and comfortable, particularly through the winter months when the sea is at its roughest. 

The device, known as Seadamp and built by Italian manufacturer Seares, reduces the impact of waves before the force reaches the mooring lines. This can cut the peak stress on the lines by up to 90%.

Tests in other Mediterranean marinas show the system can make boats twice as stable while docked, reduce pontoon movement by half, and lower the motion felt on board by nearly 50%.

Beyond the mechanical benefits, the technology has a digital side as well. Sensors inside the units constantly measure the tension on each mooring line and send the information to a central display.

The system being installed, photo credit: Seares

If the strain becomes too high, the system automatically issues a warning. Additionally, the device powers itself, generating electricity from the movement of the surrounding water rather than relying on the grid.

Over time, the data gathered is set to give port managers a much clearer picture of how infrastructure is performing, allowing maintenance and planning decisions to be based on solid evidence.

Seares had also previously worked with the Yacht Club through Monaco’s Smart Marina programme, a partnership that set the foundation for this new development.

Giorgio Cucè, CEO of Seares, said the partnership represented a significant milestone for the company. “This collaboration allows us to deploy and refine data-driven mooring solutions in one of the most demanding and visionary marinas in the world,” he said.

This installation makes part of the club’s Capital of Advanced Yachting initiative, which seeks to push marina operations toward greater sustainability.

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Main photo: Primo Cup Trophy, credit: Studio Borlenghi

Monaco to celebrates 20 years of friendship with Japan in a day of culture and art

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
10/03/2026

Monaco is set to welcome a taste of Japan next week as the Principality marks 20 years of diplomatic relations with the country.

Running from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 21st March, across the Japanese Garden and the esplanade of the Grimaldi Forum, the day offers something for all ages, from craft exhibitions and taiko drumming to dance and hands-on workshops.

The day kicks off with an exhibition of traditional Japanese craft, including Bizen-yaki ceramics and Kyoto artisanship. Then at 11am, an official ceremony on the Grimaldi Forum esplanade will feature powerful taiko drum performances by Wako Rising Sun, followed by a dance performance by Mimosa Koike, principal dancer with the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, accompanied by live taiko. Drums return at 2:30pm for a second performance.

Photo credit: Monaco Friend’s of Japan Association

Hand’s on Washi-Sakura workshop

Visitors can also take part in Washi-Sakura workshops, a traditional Japanese paper art in which participants create miniature cherry blossom bonsai using washi paper arranged on real branches in a glass vessel.

Two sessions are available, at 2pm and 3:30pm, led by floral artist Michiko and created Eiji Tanaka. Each session is limited to five participants aged 10 and over, lasts approximately one hour, and costs €25. Participants take their creation home. Advance booking is required at amfj-monaco.com.

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

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Main photo credit: Monaco Friends of Japan Association 

Pope Leo XIV’s Monaco schedule revealed

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
10/03/2026

With Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic visit to Monaco just weeks away, the Princely Palace has revealed the full programme for Saturday 28th March, from the first cannon salute to the final helicopter lift off.

The Holy Father is set to arrive by helicopter, touching down at Monaco’s heliport at 9am, where Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène will be waiting to welcome him.

As he steps onto Monegasque soil, 21 cannon shots will ring out across the Principality to mark the historic day, an act that last took place back in 2014 to celebrate the birth of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.

From the heliport, he will be transported to the Princely Palace for the formal welcome ceremony, set to take place at 9:25am, followed by a private audience with Prince Albert II at 9:40am.

Princess Charlène will then join them for the exchange of gifts and at 10:10am, the Prince and the Pope will appear together on the Palace balcony to address the crowd gathered on the Palace Square.

Afterwards, the Pope will board the papamobile for a procession through the streets, a moment that is expected to be the most visually striking part of the day, with the public able to witness and approach the vehicle throughout the route.

Following the procession, the Pope will arrive at Monaco’s Cathedral at 11am, where once again he will be received by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène, this time accompanied by the Archbishop Dominique-Marie David for a meeting with the Catholic community.

He will then continue to the Church of Saint Dévote at 11:45am for an encounter with young people and catechumens (those preparing to enter the Catholic faith).

The Stade Louis II pontifical mass

After a lunch break, the main event arrives: a pontifical mass at the Stade Louis II, set to kick off at 3:30pm.

The stadium will be transformed into a true place of worship, with Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène and civil and religious authorities in attendance alongside the faithful. Entry to the mass is free, with registration details to be announced shortly.

Pope Leo XIV is expected to depart for the Vatican at 5:35pm, in time to celebrate Palm Sunday mass the following morning, marking the beginning of Holy Week.

This is the first time a reigning pope has formally visited Monaco in the modern era. The last papal presence in the Principality dates back to 1802, and even then, it was the cortege of the deceased Pope Pius VI passing through. So, this upcoming visit on the 28th presents something genuinely without precedent.

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Main photo of Prince Albert II and Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in January 2026, credit: Vatican Media

 

€299 a month to find a date: Inside Monaco’s most ambitious start up pitch night

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
09/03/2026

Seven startups took to that stage at the K2 March Investor Lounge in Monaco last week, at the Méridien Beach Plaza, pitching for investment in front of a room of investors. 

Now in its eight edition, the event founded by Badr Moudden and Alexandros Dohn has become one of Europe’s more intimate startup funding platforms. Here are three that caught our attention.

What €299 a month gets you if you’re a man

Brian Lynn, co-founder of Pulse, brought the most eyebrow-raising pitch of the evening, with a dating app where women get in for free – but men pay €299 a month. The logic is exclusivity and verification. “People are tired of swiping,” Lynn said, nodding towards platforms such as Tinder and Bumble. “You don’t really get quality matches a lot of the time.”

Every user at Pulse is manually verified, requiring social profile submissions and a face video check to prevent scammers and fake profiles. Launched just a few months ago, it already has close to 3,000 sign ups.

Lynn says the app is most active in “international hubs like Dubai, London, and Monaco”. In fact, he counts himself among those who’ve already found a match.

Healthcare that comes to your door

Sehar Shahid was the next pitch that sparked interest. After having spent 15 years as a pharmacist, she said she got tired of watching the industry fail. After having worked for an online pharmacy she described as “very unregulated”, she spent years consulting for others to improve their standards, before deciding to build one herself. “I thought, you know what, I could set up an online pharmacy and show them how it’s done properly,” she said. And thus, the 24-hour pharmacy was born.

The model is very simple. Patients go online, book a consultation, and a UK-registered clinician reviews and approves the prescriptions, all within a single day, delivered to their door by the next morning. “Healthcare that fits around your lifestyle,” as Shahid put it. In a world of overloaded doctors’ surgeries, and two-week waiting times, it’s a proposition that’s hard to argue with. Currently UK-only, she has firm plans to go global.

Cutting the analyst out of the loop

Benedikt FDM Jaletzke, co-founder of Felix Research alongside James Hall, came with a pitch aimed at the finance world. “In our core markets alone, it’s about twenty-five billion dollars a year in paying people alone,” he said, referring to the vast teams of analysts employed by investment funds.

His AI platform puts much of that work directly in the hands of fund managers, cutting out the days-long back and forth with junior staff. A former private equity professional himself, Jaletzke estimates his tool saves 10 to 20 hours per user per week, all while offering an “infinitely better” return on investment that existing platforms like Bloomberg or Refinitiv.

The remaining four pitches were no less ambitious. Marc Graham, attending the Investor Lounge for the second time, presented Everybody Read, an education AI platform. Meanwhile, Andrew Ridgway, attending for the sixth time and earning investments each and every time, took to the stage twice: once for Everybody Counts and again for Everybody Creates, both social impact ventures.

Florian Breipohl, in his second time as well, rounded out the evening with Everkite, a renewable energy startup developing high-altitude wind technology.

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life.

Why did the Prince’s Palace light up in blue?

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
09/03/2026

The Prince’s Palace was illuminated in blue this Saturday 7th March as part of a worldwide commemoration organised by Interpol to mark its annual Remembrance Day for police officers killed in the line of duty. 

Member countries were invited to light up police stations, public buildings and national landmarks in blue to honour officers who died while on duty. The tribute moved from one time zone to the next through the course of the day.

Throughout the world, the day was marked with moments of silence, lowering of flags, laying of wreaths, and reading names of fallen officers.

Interpol also shared photographs and testimonies from officers around the world as part of the event.

The commemoration gave an opportunity to reflect on the personal cost of this career choice, where men and women – real human beings behind the uniform – take on the risk of the job in service of public safety.

“Every day, in every corner of the world, police officers put on a uniform, say goodbye to their families, and walk toward uncertainty, toward danger, toward a moment that may change their lives forever,” said Interpol’s Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza.

Monaco’s historic connection with Interpol

“Today, we honour those who have fallen, those who continue to serve, and those who support them. Their sacrifice reminds us that policing is both a public mission and a truly vocational, personal commitment,” added Interpol President Lucas Philippe.

Monaco has longstanding ties to international policing. In 1914, Prince Albert I hosted the first International Criminal Congress in the Principality, an early step towards what eventually became the International Criminal Police Organisation – Interpol.

Today, Monaco is one of the organisation’s 195 members.

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Main photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Communication’s Department 

New PowHer interactive format proves to be a hit as Monaco marks International Women’s Day

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
09/03/2026

Visitors were already lining outside the Espace Leo Ferre’s doors Friday morning for the eighth edition of the annual PowHer Event. By the time Minister of State Christophe Mirmand officially launched the edition, the venue was filling fast.

However, the Prime Minister wasn’t just there for the ceremonial launch, but to complete the full trail himself, accompanied by official delegates and Interministerial Delegate for Women’s Rights Céline Cottalorda, collecting clues by visiting each workshop, before crossing the finishing arch at the end.

Prime Minister Christophe Mirmand and official delegates completing the trail, photo by Monaco Life

For this edition, the Powher event turned its attention to inequalities in sport and health, tracing them through the different stages of a woman’s life, from childhood to old age.

Speaking to Monaco Life ahead of the event, Cottalorda walked us through the space. “Here we have a space where six Monegasque sportswomen have been photographed,” she said. “You also have a whole course with different stands to explore the different stages of a woman’s life, from childhood to senior years.”

The photograph exhibition, photo by Monaco Life

At each of the eight workshops – all run by Monaco’s associations and institutional partners including the CHPG, the RedCross, Pink Ribbon, and the Zonta Club – visitors were expected to do more than simply stroll around and read.

“You have to participate, find answers to questions, sometimes perform cardiac massage, and various other interactive things,” Cottalorda explained. “You collect a clue and then you can go up on stage.

Students gathering clues at the workshops, photo by Monaco Life

One stand in particular stood out. “The public safety stand is interesting because they made a short interactive film to talk about violence,” she said. “You have to say whether a behaviour is violent or not. So there’s a really fun interactive section,” even though the subject matter was anything but light.

The finishing line

Completing all the workshops unlocks a password, granting access to the main stage: a finishing arch by Monegasque street artist Anthony Alberti, known as Mr One Teas.

Cottalorda demonstrated the ritual herself during the interview, creating a small drawing before stepping through. “It’s not the end of the fight for women’s rights,” she said. “It’s just the end of the course.”

Visitors are photographed as they cross the line and leave with a printed photo.

Inside the PowHer event, photo by Monaco Life

On what she hoped visitors would take away, Cottalorda told Monaco Life: “The goal for us is to talk about inequalities in sport and health. What we hope is that people learn things, because there is important information at each workshop.”

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life