Associations and Platforms

Fincantieri has joined the European Technology Platform WATERBORNE, the stakeholder forum recognised by the European Commission as a key player in promoting innovation, knowledge transfer and European competitiveness. Waterborne defines the roadmap for research and innovation programmes at European level. Priorities are periodically agreed and information is shared with European maritime stakeholders.

Hydrogen Europe is the European hydrogen and fuel cell association working with the European Commission on the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) innovation programme. This unique public/private partnership supports research and technological development activities. Its aim is to accelerate the introduction of hydrogen technologies on the market and realize their potential as a tool for the creation of a low-carbon energy system.

CETENA is a member of ECMAR. The association aims to develop a common strategy for European research in the maritime sector, in line with EU funded research, innovation and development priorities. ECMAR implement a close cooperation with industrial partners, universities and research organisations.

Euroyards is the European association of shipbuilders and its objective is the promotion of the interests of the sector in the European and global context. The membership of the organization consists of the most important cruise ship builders as well as of other high value-added shipbuilding sectors.

Fincantieri is a member of SEA EUROPE, the European association of shipyards and marine equipment manufacturers. Its mission is to provide a wide range of services and activities at European and international level, to the benefit of maritime and naval industries, promoting their mutual interests.

Fincantieri and CETENA have jointly joined the CRS, a research center established in 1969 with the aim of obtaining and analyzing data on hydrodynamics and problems relating to large ships. Currently, research interests are focused on issues regarding hydrodynamics, structure and problems related to ships of any type, from both a design and operational perspective.

Fincantieri is a member of ASD, the association supporting the competitive development of European aeronautics, space, defence and security industries.

The Group, through its subsidiary VARD, regularly collaborates with Norwegian university and research institutions (Norwegian University of Science and Technology and The Foundation for Industrial and Technical Research). Such close cooperation has led to the establishment of two centers for research-based innovation (SFI) aiming at improving the innovation capacity in specific industrial sectors. This purpose is attained by creating close partnerships between companies and research groups focused on medium-long research term. The Group has launched two partnerships:

• SFI Smart Marine: the center aims to improve the positioning of the Norwegian maritime sector as far as the green maritime transport is concerned.
• SFI Move: the center is focused on maritime operations and develops knowledge, methods and IT tools to increase their value.

Fincantieri is contributing to the activities of the Maritime Working Group of the Transport Italy 2020 National Technology Cluster, one of eight national technology clusters launched by MIUR in 2012. Transport Italy 2020 aims to create synergies between the different supply chains and identify future research and innovation trajectories in the surface transport sector.

Fincantieri is part of the National Blue Italian Growth (BIG) Technology Cluster, a cluster aims generating technological development opportunities for Italy's marine and maritime industrial system on Blue Growth issues.

The cluster policy has strengthened the role of districts at regional level and Fincantieri collaborates with five technology districts in the areas where the shipyards are located.

• MareTC FVG - Maritime Technology Cluster Friuli Venezia Giulia
• DLTM - Ligurian Marine Technology District
• SIIT - Ligurian Technology District on Integrated Intelligent Systems
• IMAST - District Polymeric and Composite Materials and Structures Engineering
• NAVTEC - Technology District on Naval, Commercial and Leisure Transport

Fincantieri participates in the working groups of AIRI, an association that has been operating since 1974 with the aim of carrying out - through appropriate actions both in Italy and at an international level - an active role to promote cooperation in industrial research.

Fincantieri is involved in H2IT activities. The association aims to support member companies in the path towards a hydrogen economy, to offer institutions the necessary support for the definition of a coherent regulatory framework and raise public awareness on the topic.

The Fincantieri Group is part of the Federation representing the Italian Companies for Aerospace, Defence and Security. The Federation includes national enterprises that operate with advanced technology in the design, production, research and services activities for the aerospace and military sectors, including the naval one.

The American subsidiary Marinette Marine carries out most of the research and innovation initiatives in cooperation with research centres and universities, through the National Shipbuilding Research Project (NSRP) funded by the US Government. The NSRP was founded in partnership with U.S. Shipyards, which studies and develops new processes and designs to improve shipbuilding in the US and make it more efficient.