As one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world, The Italian Company Fincantieri has established itself in recent years as highly capable and reliable, setting the standard for quality and attracting the attention of the most important countries, especially the navies in various armies of the world. To shed more light on the Italian company, its fields of work, and products, Al Jundi Journal interviewed Mr. Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, and had the following dialogue with him:
Talk to us about Fincantieri, its fields of work in general, as well as the most prominent products that the company offers to its customers, and what is the extent of satisfaction and demand for these products
Fincantieri is the first Western and one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups.
We are a leader in cruise ship design and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry sectors, from naval to offshore vessels, from high-complexity ferries to mega yachts.
Our capabilities cover sectors such as the production of systems and components, equipment for mechanical and electrical segments, from cruise ship interiors solutions, electronic and surveillance systems, to infrastructures and maritime constructions, as well as after-sales services.
We have the most diversified product portfolio in the world combined with a wide client base and a strong backlog. Fincantieri has the capabilities to design, build and manage all types of products in the military sector, from small fast patrol boats up to aircraft carriers, including corvettes, frigates, fleet tankers, landing platforms docks, and so on. Moreover, our capabilities include not only surface vessels but also submarines of different dimensions and characteristics.
It is important to underline that Fincantieri’s mission goes beyond shipbuilding: Fincantieri Group is a strategic industrial partner able to support Navies and Shipbuilding companies.
Through its expertise, shared between the Mother Company and its branches worldwide, Fincantieri can boast the ability to undertake, develop and complete complex projects not only in shipbuilding but also in other industrial and construction fields.
The international market requires an ever-wider service portfolio. In such a frame, Fincantieri can offer an unrivaled experience ready to embrace customer’s needs: improvement plans for shipyards, crew operational training & simulators, cyber and physical security, unmanned technologies, maintenance and in-service support, design & building of maritime, civil, and industrial infrastructures, and more…
Such a wide range of services is the key success factor for the satisfaction of our clients that can count on a Partner that guarantees full support ensuring the growth of the local economy, the improvement of local partners’ capabilities and expertise, on the most advanced ships in terms of design and construction.
How important is the UAE and GCC market to Fincantieri?
Gulf Cooperation Council market is strategic for Fincantieri, and as previously underlined, we are also looking beyond the naval sector, there are important ongoing actions with all the other GCC members to put definitively the GCC in a central position for the business perspectives of Fincantieri.
What are your most prominent projects for the next stage?
Fincantieri constantly has many important projects in progress, aimed to improve our proposal and continuously strengthen our position as a strategic partner in the defence sector.
Small submarines, new class Corvettes, drones, and anti-drones systems, fully integrated and customized solutions in the unmanned vehicles field, are the most prominent projects on which we are focused.
This confirms our primary interest in further expanding the role of partner for the supply of state-of-the-art naval units with related support throughout its life in the service.
New technologies, advanced systems such as cybersecurity, drones, anti-drones systems, and electronics, managed through the subsidiary Fincantieri NexTech with a wide range portfolio of innovative products are of great importance.
In such context, a good example is radar OMEGA 360, a unique non-rotating antenna and simultaneous surveillance over 360° radar, able to detect and classify the most demanding threats like individual and swarms of drones including mini and nano drones, periscopes, swimmers, and in general very small threats. Through various official tests, it has been demonstrated its unique high performance in terms of detection & classification of the threats.
What are your company’s plans for the future and how do you see the company changing in two years?
We aspire to be the world leaders in the industrial sectors where we operate, increasing our areas of competencies consolidating our role of strategic partner able to support the client in a wide range of enterprises, through investments in the local economy, transfer of know-how, and long term support for the vessels management.
Fincantieri is investing, through its wide galaxy of subsidiaries and associates. Besides the already mentioned new technologies and advanced systems field, another example showing how wide is Fincantieri offer in terms of products and services is Fincantieri Infrastructure, which is specialized in the design, fabrication, and assembly of steel structures for large-scale projects such as bridges, stadiums, port facilities, and industrial, commercial and institutional projects.
This means that in the next two years our effort is focused to consolidate our position of trusted and strategic partner of numerous international contractors, able to provide turnkey solutions, products, and services not only in the naval field supporting the development of local economies and providing 360-degrees benefits for our clients.
How do you assess the cooperation between your company and GCC countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates?
As a strategic industrial partner of many industrial and governmental clients, we are used to having a significant presence in foreign countries establishing a local presence, also through agreements with local players.
What new products is Fincantieri offering the UAE and Gulf region?
Fincantieri is focusing on many important solutions, with particular attention on new 4000 tons Corvettes, unmanned systems, and innovative submarines.
Regarding this last product, I would like to say a few words about the innovative S800 class Submarine. S800 is a compact size submarine, whose characteristics encompass all the technical and operational experience initially gained with the U212A and then consolidated with new U212NFS, where Fincantieri is the prime contractor and design authority. Within the S800 all the Fincantieri’s experience and competencies are condensed. Besides making it difficult to be detected by active sonar, Its dimensions allow bringing to shallow waters and high-density surface traffic areas the same tasks carried out in deeper waters by bigger, thanks to its better maneuverability and depth control characteristics. At the same time, its operational depth, endurance, and high automation also allow operations in deep water/ocean areas, for extended duration missions. Its Combat System includes a full suit of weapons whose performances are comparable to those of the U212NFS.
Would you like to send any message through Al Jundi Journal to the defense community in general, or in the UAE in particular?
We are Fincantieri, we are your Partner.
» Interviewed by: «Al Jundi»
