Italy’s Fincantieri and NextGeo seal the deal for autonomous vehicle development

October 29, 2025, by Nadja Skopljak

Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri, through its subsidiary Ingegneria dei Sistemi (IDS), and compatriot Next Geosolutions (NextGeo), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic collaboration for the development of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and related technologies for civil applications in the oil & gas and renewable energy sectors.

Through the agreement, signed by IDS CEO Matteo Marchiori and NextGeo CEO Giovanni Ranieri, the companies will combine their respective expertise to define the requirements and specifications for new USV platforms, optimized for open-sea operations and activities such as environmental monitoring, inspection, and offshore infrastructure integrity control.

The collaboration will specifically focus on the evolution of the Surface Advanced Naval Drone (SAND) project, developed by IDS, and on the development of a new USV model, said to be designed to meet the operational needs of major offshore market players. The new-generation vehicles will be directly employed by NexGeo and subsequently introduced to the international market.

“This agreement further confirms the tangible progress we are making to systematize existing technologies across both the civil and defense sectors, with the goal of providing integrated solutions in the underwater domain. We aim to meet the needs of major offshore operators in the Oil & Gas and Renewable Energy industries,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri.

“Thanks to the system-engineering capabilities of our subsidiary IDS, we are positioning ourselves as a hub for aggregation, integration, and acceleration of the competencies required for the development of the new underwater domain.”

Dedicated working groups will be tasked with identifying the most effective solutions to make offshore operations more flexible and sustainable, combining IDS’s technological know-how with Next Geosolutions’ applied expertise in marine surveying and services.

According to the partners, the agreement will also strengthen the operational capabilities of USVs, which will be able to operate in synergy with traditional vessels through dedicated launch and recovery systems (LARS).

The companies will also explore the joint development of a new USV, specifically designed to meet NextGeo’s operational requirements. This new vehicle may include custom functionalities, modular systems, and mission-specific payloads for offshore survey activities.

“This collaboration with IDS marks another important step forward in our path toward innovation and the sustainability of offshore operations. We strongly believe that the integration of USV systems can deliver a real competitive advantage in terms of operational efficiency, cost reduction, and minimization of environmental impact,” said Giovanni Ranieri, CEO of NextGeo.

Of note, Fincantieri recently launched its first underwater drone system for the protection of critical underwater infrastructure in both civil needs and defense and security applications.