Fincantieri’s Underwater Strategy: Ambitions in Underwater Technology and Defense

Fincantieri, Italy’s state-controlled shipbuilding group, has launched a comprehensive underwater strategy to expand its presence in subsea technology and defense. The company is pivoting beyond traditional shipbuilding into the underwater domain – a field Folgiero, Fincantieri CEO, likens to “what space was 40 years ago,” poised for explosive growth in both military and commercial arenas. To spearhead this vision, Fincantieri established an Underwater Technology Hub in 2024–2025 that unifies all its underwater-related capabilities (civil, military, and dual-use) under one integrated command. This hub consolidates expertise from recent acquisitions and partnerships: for example, the company acquired Leonardo’s Underwater Armaments (WASS) division (torpedoes, sonar, countermeasures) and engineering firm Remazel (launch/recovery systems), and it forged alliances with niche players like WSense (underwater communications) and Graal Tech (robotics). By leveraging these high-tech assets and Italy’s newly inaugurated National Underwater Hub (Polo Nazionale della Subacquea) in La Spezia, Fincantieri aims to lead the development of critical subsea infrastructure and vehicles. The underwater domain is now deemed strategic for national security (anti-submarine warfare, subsea intelligence) as well as for civilian needs like offshore energy, environmental monitoring, and protection of undersea cables and pipelines.