Partners Aim to Develop Humanoid Welding Robots for Shipyards
Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri has launched an industrial partnership with Generative Bionics aimed at developing a humanoid welding robot designed to operate alongside human workers in shipyard environments. The initiative aligns with Fincantieri’s broader strategy around advanced robotics, physical AI and innovation, core pillars of the Group’s new Industrial Plan.
The collaboration brings together Fincantieri’s deep industrial and shipbuilding expertise with Generative Bionics’ autonomous humanoid robotics platform. The goal is to improve safety, operational efficiency and workmanship quality in shipyard welding operations, while enhancing the long-term sustainability of labor-intensive activities.
As a first application, the partners will focus on a humanoid robot specifically engineered to support selected naval welding tasks. The system will incorporate artificial intelligence, advanced manipulation and perception capabilities, and vision systems dedicated to monitoring weld seams. Optimized locomotion will allow the robot to function in complex shipyard environments. A key design requirement is safe, direct collaboration with human workers, in full compliance with applicable safety regulations and without restricting work areas.
The four-year program is structured to accelerate industrial deployment. Initial shipyard trials are planned by the end of 2026, with operational functionalities expected to be introduced within the first two years. Subsequent phases will focus on refinement, expansion and industrial certification. Development and testing will take place at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, which will serve as the reference site for validation and certification.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri, said advanced robotics and AI are critical to maintaining competitiveness in European shipbuilding amid rising production complexity and skilled labor shortages. Daniele Pucci, CEO and co-founder of Generative Bionics, noted that the project represents a major step in industrial validation, demonstrating how humanoid robots can safely and effectively support highly specialized maritime manufacturing work.
The partnership also underscores a broader push toward strengthening European technological sovereignty through advanced industrial collaboration.
