The project, presented to the Ministry of Enterprises, aims to create a center for the production and refitting of yachts and a nautical training citadel in the Apulian Zes areas
Brindisi – An investment of 60 million euros will give life to the Polo Nautico Brundisium, a center dedicated to the production and refitting of yachts and a nautical training citadel, located within the Zes areas of Brindisi. The initiative, which will initially occupy 4 hectares with the possibility of expansion up to 14, will be presented during Snim 2025, the Salone Nautico di Puglia, which opens its doors today in Brindisi with over 300 boats and 200 exhibitors.
According to Giuseppe Meo, president of Snim and CEO of the project, Puglia could seize an important opportunity thanks to the availability of seaside areas, at a time when regions like Liguria, Tuscany, and Marche do not offer new spaces for shipbuilding. He explained that the chosen area, equipped with 350 meters of docks and a customs free zone, will allow companies to access non-repayable grants covering up to 60% of investments.
The project has already been presented to the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy and is now under evaluation. Meo reported that several expressions of interest concern various sectors, but the Polo Brundisium represents the main proposal for the pleasure boating sector. The commissioner identified for managing the projects is the prefect of Brindisi, Luigi Carnevale, and the start of the hub is scheduled for January 2027.
The Polo Nautico Brundisium is a company formed by four partners: Ice Yachts and Fiart (30% each), Corset (30%) and the Sea Event Agency (10%). The goal is to create a center of excellence for the construction and maintenance of yachts, with an estimated employment return of about one thousand jobs.
The project also includes a training citadel, linked to the Its Academy Mobilità of Brindisi, which already prepares technicians and professionals for companies in the sector such as Ferretti, Fincantieri and Grimaldi, with an employment rate of 92% after graduation.
Meo added that a permanent training school will be established within the hub, with short courses financed by the Puglia Region for artisanal trades such as electricians, upholsterers and painters. The goal is to integrate theory and practice directly in the laboratories and shipyards of the new hub, facilitating the entry of young people into the nautical labor market.
