Fincantieri is accelerating the introduction of robotics, physical artificial intelligence and automated manufacturing systems across its international shipyards, moving technologies developed through its BOOST² programme towards wider industrial deployment. The Italian shipbuilding group has involved more than 450 employees at 13 shipyards in Italy and overseas during the programme’s first three years.
The company presented its latest progress at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, demonstrating systems already operating in production alongside equipment undergoing validation and applications requiring further development. Participating sites include facilities in Romania and the United States, although Fincantieri has not stated that every technology has been installed throughout the network.
BOOST², known as The Shipyard of the Future, was established to identify manufacturing technologies suitable for shipbuilding and integrate them with existing production processes. Its development has involved operational employees, engineering specialists and external partners, with testing undertaken in the working environments where the equipment would eventually be used.
Shipbuilding presents substantially different automation requirements from repetitive manufacturing based on standardised products. A vessel comprises large structural assemblies, machinery, pipework and electrical systems that must be produced and integrated through successive construction stages. Differences between vessel designs and production configurations limit the extent to which a fixed sequence can be repeated without adjustment.
The physical environment also changes as construction progresses. Access to a structural assembly may become more restricted after surrounding equipment is installed, while components can vary in position and geometry. Machinery intended to automate an operation must accommodate those conditions without compromising the accuracy or safety of the work.
Conventional industrial robots perform particularly well where the relationship between the machine, tooling and workpiece can be controlled. A programmed motion can be repeated accurately when components arrive in consistent positions, but changes in their location or orientation may require additional sensing, fixturing or programme adjustments.
Fincantieri is therefore investigating robotics capable of operating within more variable production environments. Collaborative systems form part of the programme, allowing certain operations to be performed with human involvement rather than requiring every activity to take place inside a fully segregated robotic cell.
Collaborative operation still depends on the hazards of the complete application. Robot speed, operating force, tooling, component weight and the surrounding workspace all influence the protective measures required. The designation does not mean that any robot can operate beside personnel without task-specific risk assessment.
Physical AI introduces another approach to handling variation. The term describes the combination of artificial intelligence with sensors, control equipment and machinery capable of acting in the physical environment. Information obtained during an operation can be used to interpret changing conditions and guide an appropriate response.
In manufacturing, this may involve identifying a component’s actual position or determining how equipment should respond when a physical arrangement differs from its expected configuration. The usefulness of such techniques depends on the quality of sensor information, the reliability of the control system and the mechanical capabilities of the equipment performing the operation.
Fincantieri has identified physical AI as an important element of its manufacturing development programme, but the October announcement does not provide independently measured accuracy, cycle time or availability figures for specific systems. Some applications have reached operation, while others remain under testing.
Digital twins are being developed alongside the physical equipment. These systems use digital representations of industrial assets and production activities to support planning, analysis and operational decisions. Their accuracy depends on maintaining a reliable connection between the information represented digitally and the condition of equipment or work taking place in the shipyard.
Changes to design documentation, machinery configuration and production progress can alter that relationship. Where digital models are used to evaluate manufacturing operations, information must be sufficiently current to reflect the actual workpiece and resources available, rather than relying on assumptions established before construction began.
The programme also includes smart supply chain systems and additive manufacturing. Shipyards handle large numbers of components sourced through different suppliers and manufacturing routes, with their availability affecting when structural, mechanical and electrical work can proceed.
Digital supply chain information can help coordinate component availability with production requirements. However, inventory accuracy and delivery performance depend on supplier information, physical material movements and the way procurement systems communicate with manufacturing planning activities.
Additive manufacturing offers a different means of producing selected components, prototypes and production tooling. Material is built into the required geometry through controlled deposition or consolidation processes, allowing certain designs to be manufactured without conventional machining from a larger block of material.
Qualification remains essential where an additively manufactured component must meet demanding mechanical or safety requirements. Manufacturing method, material properties, inspection procedures and the intended operating conditions determine whether an individual part is suitable for use, particularly within safety-critical ship systems.
Fincantieri is also evaluating automated systems for industrial equipment and handling activities. Large structures create substantial lifting and positioning requirements, making the relationship between machinery, workpiece geometry and the surrounding production area central to the design of an automation system.
The involvement of shipyard employees is intended to establish whether individual applications can be used under actual operating conditions. Equipment that performs successfully during a demonstration may require changes to its interfaces, protective systems or maintenance arrangements before it can support routine production.
Introducing the same technology at another shipyard creates further requirements. Different machinery, layouts and construction programmes can affect how the system is installed, while operators and maintenance personnel need procedures suited to the local configuration.
Fincantieri is working with technology suppliers, smaller companies and start-ups through its open innovation programme. The aim is to adapt available technologies and develop new applications that can meet the particular requirements of complex shipbuilding operations.
Pierroberto Folgiero, chief executive officer and managing director of Fincantieri, identified the integration of AI with robotics and manufacturing expertise as a priority for the group’s industrial development. Its next phase will concentrate on deploying solutions that have demonstrated sufficient maturity while continuing to validate less developed applications.
The company has not disclosed a new investment figure for BOOST², a complete inventory of robotic installations or quantified productivity improvements. The participation of 450 employees represents the reach of the development programme, not the number of workers operating robots or the number of automated workstations installed.
The next stage will be determined by how effectively the tested systems perform during routine ship construction. Repeatable quality, equipment availability, workforce competence and compatibility with existing production processes will govern which applications can move from individual demonstrations into wider use across Fincantieri’s shipyards.
