Physical AI in Shipbuilding: Fincantieri Partners with Poste Italiane, TIM
New industrial AI initiative targets shipyard automation, robotics and preservation of technical expertise across Fincantieri's global shipbuilding operations.
Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri has announced a strategic partnership with Poste Italiane and telecommunications company TIM to establish Italy's first integrated national Physical AI ecosystem, designed to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation in shipbuilding.
The initiative, called "Fincantieri Ontology," is a central component of the company's 2026–2030 industrial plan, F4 (Fast Forward Further Future), which prioritizes digitalization, automation and the protection of industrial knowledge.
The partnership combines the three companies' technological capabilities to develop a secure digital infrastructure that integrates AI directly into ship design, construction and vessel management.
Fincantieri Ontology will focus on automating shipyard design and production processes, while the parallel "Navis Sapiens" initiative targets the digitalization of ships themselves, ultimately supporting increasingly autonomous vessel operations.
A key element involves creating digital representations of industrial processes, capturing technical expertise and using AI models to optimize manufacturing operations.
The companies plan to develop four-dimensional design and construction models, enabling shipyard workers and robotic systems to receive AI-optimized work packages and daily production instructions.
The initiative supports Fincantieri's industrial workload valued at approximately $81 billion (€70 billion), extending through 2036. Its supply chain includes 7,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, 18 shipyards worldwide and approximately 100,000 people accessing its facilities daily.
Another objective is preserving accumulated shipbuilding knowledge while transitioning traditional manufacturing roles toward digitally enabled production.
"Data and Artificial Intelligence are the driving forces behind our 2026–2030 Industrial Plan," said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri.
"With the launch of this strategic partnership, we are not simply digitalizing an industrial process; we are documenting and protecting the ontology of our technical culture."
Fincantieri said the partnership will establish a protected computing environment combining local AI processing and secure cloud infrastructure, supporting cybersecurity and safeguarding sensitive industrial data while accelerating robotics adoption across its shipbuilding operations.
