Rendering of a Hydrone subsea vehicle undertaking surveillance on undersea infrastructure. Photo: Saipem

Under the agreement, the companies will assess commercial and industrial prospects for participating in programmes focusing on surveillance and control of critical underwater infrastructure.

The partners will also look at prospects for integrating autonomous subsea vehicles with surface and underwater units.

The collaboration entails leveraging specific technologies from both companies, including Fincantieri鈥檚 vessels and submarines and Saipem鈥檚 Hydrone drone development program.

Combined subsea experience

Saipem is one of the first companies to commercialise autonomous subsea drones for intervention and inspection tasks on offshore energy infrastructure at depths of up to 3,000m.

Fincantieri鈥檚 submarine construction experience stretches back to 1929. Since then, it has built 180 subs, including 105 at its Muggiano shipyard.

The MoU, signed at the Palazzo Marina, headquarters of the Italian Navy鈥檚 General Staff, is deemed strategically important, given the growing significance of underwater infrastructure in the current geopolitical landscape.