AMSTERDAM – Nuncas Marine’s participation at METSTRADE coincides with the company’s second year of activity. The brand was launched as a “second label” of Nuncas, the Italian company founded in 1920 by Nunzio Cassata and historically a leader in household cleaning products.
Today, the company, headquartered in Settimo Milanese, is led by Rosy Cassata, the founder’s granddaughter, with Luca Manzoni as CEO, and is active in Italy, France and Spain.
The brand dedicated specifically to the marine sector, much more recent, has introduced a range of eighteen products that are fully biodegradable in seawater, designed for cleaning all onboard surfaces, from gelcoat and rubber to teak treatment and fabrics.
According to the company, this feature gives Nuncas Marine a competitive advantage, particularly among owners who are increasingly attentive to sustainability issues. We discussed this at METSTRADE with Nuncas Marine’s R&D team and product manager.
Why did you choose METSTRADE as your promotional platform?
We strongly believe that our products have significant potential, especially in international markets. We are here to present them, but above all to establish contacts, partnerships and distribution agreements.
PM – What is your core philosophy?
We strongly believe in transferring our corporate culture. Nuncas Marine stems from the passion for sailing of engineer Manzoni, CEO of Nuncas, and from a genuine maritime culture. Being here means demonstrating that it is possible to take care of your boat in a sustainable and biodegradable way. We have just started working with a major partner we met here at METSTRADE to be present in one of the most important marinas in Italy and make it more sustainable. From there, we hope further developments will follow.
PM – Are you satisfied with the contacts made at METSTRADE?
Very much so. We have strengthened existing relationships, such as with our Italian distributor, and met potential new partners, particularly sailing schools. We believe that educating and informing the consumers of tomorrow – young people and children approaching sailing – is extremely important. Beyond selling products, entering the marine world also implies, in our view, a sort of ethical responsibility.
PM – Are younger generations more attentive to sustainability, also in boating?
I would say yes. Many sailing schools visited our stand, as well as numerous clients, many of them international. There is a strong perception of product quality, both in terms of aesthetics and potential performance. Above all, we realised – even though we were already aware of it – that we currently have no direct competitors.
PM – In what sense?
Products of this type – biodegradable and certified, with packaging made entirely from recycled and recyclable materials – do not currently exist on the market.
PM – You also sponsor a sailing team from Politecnico di Milano. Is sailing a casual choice, or is there a specific strategic interest?
It certainly starts from engineer Manzoni’s passion for sailing. But sailing today also allows us to experiment more, because there is a strong push towards innovation and research, particularly in materials. Some of the partners approaching us are specialised, for example, in foil technology. This also helps us develop new products that respond effectively to current market demands.
PM – Is it more difficult to design and develop cleaning products for marine use compared to household products?
In reality, the difficulty in formulating new marine products is not particularly high. The real challenge lies in correctly identifying needs and critical issues related to marine use, especially biodegradability. Current regulations already require all surfactants – which represent around 80% of ingredients – to be biodegradable under standard conditions, namely those of wastewater treatment plants. But the marine environment is completely different.
PM – What changes at sea?
In seawater, bacteria struggle to reproduce due to salinity, so it is essential to select raw materials that are very easily degradable. Moreover, we are dealing with a fragile environment, and it is not sufficient to focus only on surfactants: the biodegradability we pursued applies to 100% of our ingredients. We carried out extensive specific screening tests. When the contextual analysis is accurate and the formulation objectives are clearly defined, solutions can be found.
PM – How long did it take to launch this new range in terms of R&D?
One year was dedicated entirely to contextual analysis, working with partners who helped us understand boat maintenance habits, frequency of use, expected results and the areas of dissatisfaction left by existing market products, which we identified as opportunities. Another year was then required to define the correct formulations and carry out all necessary tests.
PM – Is the product range now complete?
Not entirely. We are planning to expand it with products specifically for fabrics, which we are already developing, in order to preserve the appearance and durability of both exterior and interior upholstery.
Riccardo Masnata