SuMoth Comes to Pensacola:
A Landmark Gathering for Sustainable Foiling Innovation
Pensacola’s maritime innovation ecosystem is entering a new chapter. On May 8, 2026, the Bruno Giuntoli, founder of the international SuMoth Challenge, visited Pensacola for a full‑day session with university leaders, industry partners, and emerging technology collaborators.
This visit marked the beginning of Pensacola’s effort to field the first U.S. SuMoth entry for the 2027 competition—an initiative that blends sustainable materials, advanced manufacturing, and high‑performance foiling design.
Foil Forward orchestrated this milestone event and to help position Pensacola as the U.S. launchpad for SuMoth’s expansion.
Summary of Proceedings:
The Pensacola SuMoth meeting was notable for enthusiastic participation by all of the team members. Bruno presented SuMoth participation information and fielded a range of questions from the audience. Michael Reynolds and Mike Listau presented assets available and likely student interest from UWF and PSC, respectively. Henry Kelley from Blue Wind expressed support for the team entry, and LIzzy Howard from MarineShift360 talked the group through LCA and their unique software product that is used by all SuMoth teams.
To close the day, the group enjoyed an exciting tour of the impressive American Magic facility in Pensacola, thanks to Tyson.
The group was optimistic and enthusiastic about exploring a Pensacola team entry.
Foil Forward will orchestrate a follow up meeting by the PSC and UWF department leaders with the goal of establishing a letter of intent by the end of May!
Why This Matters
SuMoth is more than a student competition—it is a global platform for:
- Sustainable composite innovation
- Advanced hydrodynamics and foiling design
- Workforce development in engineering and fabrication
- International collaboration across academia and industry
Pensacola’s ecosystem—anchored by UWF Mechanical Engineering, PSC Construction & Manufacturing, American Magic, Blue Wind Technology, Befoil, and BioDesign Foundation—offers a uniquely powerful environment for this work.
The May 8 convening brings these partners together for the first time.
May 8, 2026 – Full Itinerary
Location: Sea3D Additive Manufacturing Laboratory
All Times Central Time
Morning Session (09:00–12:00)
09:00–09:30 — Welcome & Opening Presentation
Foil Forward (Tim Ryschon)
09:45–10:00 — Introductions
UWF Mechanical Engineering
Pensacola State College Construction Management
10:00–10:30 — SuMoth Challenge: Background & Framework
Presented by Bruno Giuntoli
10:30–11:00 — Q&A Session
Registration, technical requirements, sustainability criteria, and team formation
11:00–11:20 — UWF Presentation
Students, faculty, academic capabilities
11:20–11:40 — PSC Presentation
Students, faculty, fabrication and workforce capabilities
11:40–12:00 — Morning Wrap‑Up & Afternoon Agenda
Facilitated by Tim Ryschon
12:00–13:30 — Lunch Break
Sponsored by: BioDesign Foundation – The Fish House
Afternoon Session (13:30–17:00)
13:30–13:40 — Introduction of Industry Partners
Foil Forward (Tim Ryschon)
13:40–14:00 — MarineShift360 Tool Presentation
Lifecycle assessment and sustainability modeling
14:00–14:20 — Blue Wind Presentation
Tooling, and industry engagement
14:20–14:40 — American Magic
Foiling performance, engineering insights, and collaboration opportunities with On‑Site Visit at AM base
What This Meeting Sets in Motion
The May 8 convening is expected to establish:
- A formal pathway for a Pensacola‑based SuMoth entry in 2027
- A collaborative design and fabrication plan across UWF, PSC, Blue Wind, and American Magic
- A sustainability framework guided by BioDesign Foundation and MarineShift360
- A sponsorship and partnership strategy for regional and national engagement
- Pensacola’s role as the U.S. anchor for SuMoth participation and future events
This initiative strengthens Pensacola’s position as a leader in clean maritime technology, advanced composites, and high‑performance foiling innovation.
Follow the Journey
Foil Forward will continue to share updates as the Pensacola SuMoth team forms, designs begin to take shape, and partnerships deepen across the region.
The future of sustainable foiling starts here.
LINKS:
BLUEWIND
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bluewindtech/
https://bluewindtechnology.com/