The collaboration will concern in particular the evolution of the Sand (Surface Advanced Naval Drone) project and the development of a new model of USV
Pisa – Fincantieri, through its subsidiary Ids – Ingegneria dei Sistemi of Pisa, and Next Geosolutions Europe of Naples, a marine geosciences company and offshore construction support services provider listed on the Euronext Growth Milan market, have signed a memorandum of understanding to initiate a strategic collaboration in the development of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) – underwater drones – and the related technologies for civil applications in the Oil & Gas and renewable energy sectors. The agreement was signed by Matteo Marchiori, CEO of Ids, and Giovanni Ranieri, CEO of Next Geosolutions, to unite the expertise of the two companies. The goal, explains a note, is to “define the requirements and specifications of new USV platforms, optimized for open-sea operations and for environmental monitoring activities, inspection and control of the integrity of offshore infrastructures.”
The collaboration will concern in particular the evolution of the Sand (Surface Advanced Naval Drone) project, developed by Ids, and the development of a new model of USV capable of responding to the operational needs of the main offshore market operators. The next-generation vehicles will be employed directly by Next Geosolutions and subsequently introduced to the international market. The work groups will combine the technological experience of Ids with the application knowledge of Next Geosolutions in the field of marine surveys and services.
With this project, Fincantieri enters the strategic and rapidly evolving segment of marine surveys, closely linked to the development of subsea energy and telecommunications infrastructures, where autonomous technologies represent a key element for increasing the efficiency and safety of operations at sea. The agreement will allow for the enhancement of the operational capabilities of the USVs, which will be able to work in synergy with traditional naval units.
