Pioneers in Naval Architecture

Growing up in Mallorca, Tià Simó was surrounded by the endless possibilities of the sea. He spent his childhood on the beach and in boats, developing a passion for sailing and a fascination with testing boundaries, something that ultimately led to a career as a naval architect with the pioneering BYD group.

Located in Barcelona and Palma, BYD group is at the cutting edge of yacht design, exploring new technologies in a constant search for ideas that push limits and breach the unknown. Like the explorers of old, Tià and BYD group are taking yacht design into uncharted waters.

“We have always been pioneers,” says Tià, who runs BYD with his business partner Raúl Gonzalo. “We started working in full 3D while most of the competitors were working still in 2D and we were one of the first implementers of 3D parametric modeling. We started 3D-printing functional parts for yachting at the beginning of this technology, and remain deeply involved in this.”Boats are the sum of many skills, requiring engineers, architects, naval architects and designers to collaborate to create the perfect fusion of style, ergonomics, systems and engineering. Introducing new technologies and concepts into an already complex mix isn’t easy but it is the only way to transform a sometimes conservative industry into one that can continue to evolve. It’s this desire for constant improvement that distinguishes BYD, whose use of ground-breaking technology has revolutionized yacht design and earned numerous awards. For Tià, change is exciting. It is an opportunity rather than something to resist – a way to maintain that innate human instinct to discover and conquer new territory.