Trieste, July 8, 2024 - A significant milestone and a new partnership to celebrate. Barcolana announces Q8 as the Technical Partner for the 56th edition. Q8, one of the leading players in the mobility sector, has chosen Barcolana as the focal point of an important initiative to mark its 40th anniversary in Italy. This initiative aims to retrace the major milestones of the company's history while showcasing its commitment to ESG values, fostering a future of sustainable and responsible mobility.

Q8 will participate in Barcolana with its own team and will play an active role in the program of the fourth edition of the Barcolana Sea Summit. In addition, the energy company has developed a unique initiative. Barcolana will be the event that brings the "Q8 Sailing for Change" project to life among the community of sailors and sea enthusiasts. This project is realized with the technical and scientific support of LifeGate, a benefit corporation that has been the reference hub for sustainable development for over twenty years.

As part of this important initiative, which will involve a total of forty Italian ports by 2025, Q8 will distribute innovative kits developed by T1 Solutions—the company introduced at the Barcolana Sea Summit in 2021—that produces, under the FoamFlex brand, special high-tech sponges designed to efficiently absorb oil and be reused up to 200 times without releasing harmful substances into the environment. During its participation in the Barcolana regatta, Q8 will equip a thousand boats with inboard engines with kits for boaters.

These kits—which will be provided during the event to the registered boat owners who request them—allow boaters to have sponges on hand for the absorption of hydrocarbons while cleaning the bilges of their boats, and to intervene promptly in case of small accidental spills during maintenance or refueling operations. According to estimates[1], each kit can absorb up to 540 kilograms of hydrocarbons over its lifetime, equivalent to the amount of gasoline used by about 19 small cars.

"For Barcolana," commented Mitja Gialuz, President of the Sailing Society of Barcola and Grignano, "this is a very important initiative. All of us who sail have seen oil slicks in the sea: having a tool available to safely collect them, both in the event of a spill and, more importantly, as a preventive measure when cleaning bilges, is a major development for the event and, in general, for the education of those who go to sea."

"Q8 is proud to celebrate its 40 years in Italy through initiatives that reflect our ESG commitment. Participating in Barcolana with the 'Q8 Sailing for Change' project demonstrates our desire to promote sustainable and responsible mobility. By distributing innovative hydrocarbon absorption kits, we aim to raise awareness within the boating community and contribute to the protection of the sea. We thank Barcolana for this opportunity, which allows us to celebrate Q8's past and present, looking to the future with optimism and determination, sailing towards new horizons of innovation and sustainability," stated Fabio Curtacci, Cards and Marketing Director.

The project—which will be presented by Q8 and LifeGate during Barcolana—aims to achieve cultural change by raising public awareness of a largely overlooked issue and promoting more responsible and virtuous behaviors, supported by concrete solutions that can gradually help mitigate the problem at its source.

Barcolana56 presented by Generali

Contacts

Barcolana Press Office: Wordpower srl

Francesca Capodanno - francesca.capodanno@wordpower.srl - +39 349 881 0482

Valeria Degano - valeria.degano@wordpower.srl - +39 339 433 1395

ufficiostampa@barcolana.it

www.barcolana.it

Connexia – Press Office for Q8

Michela Spagnuolo - michela.spagnuolo@connexia.retexspa.com - +39 366 6971634            
Gioiamaria Ciavarelli - gioiamaria.ciavarelli@connexia.retexspa.com - +39 342 1687624       
Luna Piombino - luna.piombino@connexia.retexspa.com - +39 389 7627506

[1] The collection potential refers to the sponges' ability to capture oil throughout their lifetime, using them up to 200 times. The actual amount collected will reflect the real quantities of hydrocarbons present in the water, influenced by existing pollution, the prompt use of personnel equipped with the tool, weather conditions, and the ability to concentrate it in a limited operational area. The equivalent number of gasoline fill-ups considers a 40-liter tank, which is the average capacity of a small car.