The Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri announced the opening of an Innovation Antenna at the Mind the Bridge Innovation Center in San Francisco with the aim of exploring new trends and develop innovative solutions in the field of dual-use technologies applicable in both civil and military sectors. The areas of development - explained the company - concern mainly artificial intelligence, cyber security, automation and robotics, sectors in which the convergence of civil and military applications is particularly marked.

"The defence industry - highlighted the CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri, Pierroberto Folgiero - is deeply rooted in our DNA. Fincantieri is a laboratory of innovation in heavy industry, one of the few remaining in Italy. We managed to maintain a world leadership thanks to our ability to integrate complex technologies, ranging from from cruise ships to military units. The defense is For us, it is not just a tradition, but an area of continuous innovation: Through the development of dual-use technologies, we are able to create solutions that respond to both civil and military challenges. This allows us to anticipate the needs of both sectors and to make Evolve our offer. In an uncertain geopolitical context, the ability to navigate between these two worlds becomes an asset strategic for industry and for the country".

On the occasion of the announcement of the opening of the Fincantieri center presented, in collaboration with Mind the Bridge and with the support of Crunchbase, a leading provider of research and monitoring of private companies, the report "Dual-use technologies: going beyond the dual-use divide", a research which for the first time maps this sector in depth in strong expansion. The analysis, which examined over 60,000 startups in the 47 NATO and allied countries, showed that about 25% (15.260) develops dual-use technologies. Of these, 170 have already active in the military sector while another 715, initially focused on civilian solutions, they have turned to defense. Currently, only 5% of dual-use startups have implemented technologies also for the defense sector, highlighting a huge potential still unexpressed. The report also highlights that in countries such as Israel, the conversion rates from civilian to military exceed 60%, a trend that could be repeated in other Regions.