We work to make defense technologies exportable to the civil sector – Corriere.it

Submarines, but also the civil sphere: Italy looks to the future. “There is a lot to do in the world of submarines and it is a domain that Fincantieri intends to try its hand at, because the submarine world represents a widespread operational need. It is a market divided into two: nuclear submarines, the prerogative of a small enclave, and traditional submarines, where Fincantieri is one of the leading producers in the world. With regard to our technological sovereignty, on average it is about 30%, so today in this specific sector we have a very strong imbalance towards the outside”, says Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri heard in the Defense commission on issues relating to the production of goods and services of interest for the supply of means in the defense sector. “The challenge of submarine domination will require an important synergy in our defense industrial sector, a synergy that will certainly be stimulated by the creation of the National Underwater Polo which will be built in La Spezia ”, commented the president of the Defense Commission, Antonino Minardo.

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precisely in this perspective the executive has decided to set up a ministry for maritime policies in the belief that they are an “integral part” of the global strategy linked to Italy’s role in the world. This was stated by the Minister for Civil Protection and Marine Policies, Nello Musumeci, speaking at the webinar “Italy, the enlarged Mediterranean and the underwater domain”, organized by the Institute for International Affairs (IAI). “The ministry is taking its first steps, starting from scratch, but we are running. It is a significant intuition that crosses trends on a global level and Italy’s strategy in the Mediterranean, giving a decisive boost to the knowledge of that part of the planet that lies under the surface of the sea. Only after a few months we are already in the field with support actions through the inter-ministerial committee for marine policies”, Musumeci explained.

Also in this horizon the role of Fincantieri will be decisive which aims at a “positive driving force” with the Navy to make defense technologies exportable to the civilian sphere. «It is clear that innovation is not inventing but connecting the dots, joining things that already work. Here Fincantieri sees in the front row this ability of the Italian Navy to validate new technologies and export them to the civil sector. It is also true that, compared to the past, in today’s world there could be paths in the opposite direction. Fincantieri’s great ambition is to represent the great demands of the military in the civil and of the civilian in the military».

Meanwhile, an axis is also being outlined at a geopolitical level. Starting from Norway. Norway’s main contribution towards Italy is to work together for the development of the energy hub in the Mediterranean Sea. This was stated by the Norwegian ambassador in Rome, Johan Vibe, participating in the event “Energy for Italy and the EU: the sources and rules of the energy market”. Vibe recalled the visit of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella to the Scandinavian country and underlined the importance of discussing cooperation between the hubs in the North Sea and the Mediterranean. “We are talking about a long-standing cooperation,” explained the ambassador, citing Eni’s role in the development of Norwegian natural resources, together with Saipem and Fincantieri. “The common challenge is the transition from gas to renewables,” Vibe said.

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