Fincantieri, a world leader in high-complexity shipbuilding and already active in the field of underwater drones, has signed a strategic agreement to accelerate the development of Defcomm’s autonomous surface units. Defcomm is an Italian startup specializing in unmanned solutions for the maritime sector. This confirms the Group’s commitment to driving technological innovation by collaborating with emerging and excellent entities, investing in new critical skills to consolidate its industrial leadership, particularly in the field of high-tech dual-use unmanned solutions.
Specifically, the agreement focuses on a co-investment partnership to accelerate the development and industrialization of surface drones designed by Defcomm, which have already passed long run and endurance tests. These drones are designed for surveillance, intelligence, and patrol missions and stand out for their high operational flexibility, being able to operate in fully autonomous mode, remote control, and manual control, as well as for their high performance in terms of speed.
The partnership will also enable Fincantieri to develop and integrate deployment capabilities for autonomous surface vehicles on its naval units, serving both domestic and international customers. Furthermore, the collaboration between Fincantieri and Defcomm will also support upcoming training activities during which the advanced capabilities of the platforms and their interoperability in complex scenarios will be demonstrated.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, stated: “This partnership confirms Fincantieri’s role as a leader in innovation and a growth engine for the entire national naval industrial ecosystem, able to catalyze the development of new technologies and anticipate the needs of a competitive and rapidly evolving global market such as that of surface drones. Collaborations with highly innovative and high-potential entities like Defcomm also demonstrate the Group’s commitment to promoting, through talent and collaboration with startups and SMEs, cutting-edge solutions for the technological transformation of the naval sector and for the rapid evolution of the Italian industrial base, strengthening its strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty by enhancing the best our country has to offer.”