• Q8 hoists the sails during the historic Barcolana regatta, where it is a Technical Partner, and distributes the innovative Water Cleaning kits to a thousand inboard motor boats.
• The energy company participates in the Barcolana Sea Summit, an opportunity to discuss the major challenges of the blue economy.
• The 40th anniversary in Italy is made special by Q8's entry into the Water Defenders Alliance.

Trieste, October 11, 2024 – The 'Q8 Sailing for Change' tour concluded in Trieste, an initiative by Q8 with the technical and scientific support of LifeGate, which sailed across Italy's seas with the aim of promoting marine environmental protection and fostering an active culture of sustainability. The final stage marks a particularly special moment for Q8, as it prepares to compete with its own boat in the prestigious Barcolana regatta. In addition to being a Technical Partner of the sporting event, the company was also a key participant in the 'Big Companies, Big Projects for the Sea' panel at the Barcolana Sea Summit, during which Q8 Italia's entry into the Water Defenders Alliance was announced.

'Q8 Sailing for Change' is a project created in collaboration with LifeGate to celebrate 40 years of Q8 in Italy. It aims to promote and spread increasingly aware and responsible behaviors among small boaters and fishing vessels, focusing on operations such as bilge water cleaning, refueling, and engine maintenance.

A journey around the Italian coasts during which the innovative Water Cleaning kits were distributed to ports and boaters. These kits contain FoamFlex sponges, patented and developed by the Italian company T1 Solutions. Made of expanded polyurethane, these sponges are capable of absorbing up to 99% of oils, helping to prevent environmental contamination. The project, which has already reached 20 ports, aims to equip 40 Italian ports with these kits by 2025, with a potential collection of up to 2,700 tons of dispersed oils, an amount equivalent to the fuel required for over 960,000 cars.

Furthermore, Q8 will distribute the kits to 1,000 boats participating in the regatta, making a concrete contribution to preventing water contamination with practical solutions such as FoamFlex200 sponges.

Q8 was among the key participants at the Barcolana Sea Summit, the forum dedicated to solutions for the preservation of oceans and marine ecosystems. It was a valuable opportunity to discuss, alongside other major companies, crucial topics related to sustainability and the protection of the marine environment, offering its perspective and sharing concrete initiatives and dedicated projects.

Furthermore, the Trieste stage marks the official entry of the company into the Water Defenders Alliance, a multi-stakeholder alliance coordinated by LifeGate in line with the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda, aiming to generate a concrete, science-based impact to help protect and safeguard the health of the Mediterranean Sea.

"Joining the Water Defenders Alliance is an important recognition of Q8's concrete commitment to ESG projects. Thanks to the collaboration of all the stakeholders participating in the alliance," said Bashar Alawadhi, CEO of Q8 Italy, "we will be able to achieve increasingly ambitious goals. The Trieste stop," Alawadhi continued, "is the final stage of the Q8 sailing boat's journey around the Italian coasts, but our journey continues with the awareness of wanting to keep creating social value in the territory.