Italy’s Saipem and Fincantieri jointly pursuing subsea robotics

Italian oilfield services company Saipem and compatriot shipbuilding giant Fincantieri have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of evaluating opportunities for cooperation in subsea robotics for surveillance and control of critical underwater infrastructure.

With the MoU, signed at Palazzo Marina in Rome, Italy, the two companies are looking to evaluate commercial and industrial opportunities for cooperation in the field of autonomous subsea vehicles and their integration with surface and underwater units.

The agreement aims to enable Saipem and Fincantieri to participate in major programs in the Italian and international markets in the area of surveillance and control of critical underwater infrastructure and rescue activities, through the use of the companies’ specific complementary technologies.

The collaboration involves the integration of surface vessels and submarines built by Fincantieri with the Hydrone drone development program by Sonsub, Saipem’s center of excellence for subsea technologies and solutions.

“We are the first company in the world to have commercialised subsea drones for intervention and inspection activities of underwater infrastructure in the offshore energy market,” Saipem said.

“By signing this agreement with Fincantieri, we aim to become a key reference for the subsea domain, whose strategic relevance is becoming increasingly evident in the current geopolitical context.”