The convention The opportunities of the nautical industry in the dual-use technology sector, held on March 29th during the 15th edition of Seatec, focused on the two main themes of aggregation and dual use.
The convention, presented by Franco Lazzari, manager of the magazine RID, was a round-table discussion where speakers addressed the main themes from their different points of view, those of the major customers and of the small and medium-sized companies.
Cristina Pagni, President of La Spezia EPS, introduced the meeting with the concept of aggregation among large enterprises and small and medium-sized companies as a means for the development of effective synergies capable of bringing mutual benefits in the common interest of satisfying the client, who is increasingly careful about the innovation, technical reliability and after-sales services of the product.
The tangible response to such themes given by La Spezia EPS together with its strategic partners (the Navy, the Chamber of Commerce Riviere di Liguria, DLTM, Consorzio Tecnomar, AIAD etc.) is Seafuture 2018.
The event, at its 6th edition, is an integrated hub for the innovation business in the sector of sea-related dual-use technologies. Its aim is to create a platform for business interconnections and relationships and technological transfer capable of enhancing the Blue Economy, which is worth 43,7 billion euro in terms of economic value for our country.
The main themes represented will be dual-use technology, refitting, environmental sustainability and research: all fields which can increase the competitiveness and generate a great turnover thanks to the advanced and internationally renowned competences of the Italian industry. The themes of the Safety & Security and of the Cyber Defence will have dedicated panels in high-level conferences. A special focus will be on the role of the small and medium-sized companies, which has a particular importance, as they are the backbone of our economy.
The round-table discussion continued with a talk by Domenico Rocco – Fincantieri Market Business Development, Naval Ships Division – who gave a detailed insight on the factors which contribute to the establishment of brand loyalty in the supply chain, working on the integration of competences.
The Rear Admiral Giorgio Lazio, Seafarer of the North, addressed the dual-use technology highlighting the increased level of scalability and flexibility of naval new-build projects and the possibility of synergies among the different productive facilities offered by the transformation and evolution of the presence of the Navy in the Gulf of La Spezia.
Carlo Festucci, Managing Director of the Italian Association of Aerospace and Defence, explained how to support the Small and Medium-sized enterprises in the dual-use market and how the two-way communication is necessary and never for granted.
Lorenzo Forcieri, President of the Liguria District of the Maritime Technologies, confirmed the role of clusters in the aggregation among businesses and research in the nautical sector, in the shipbuilding sector and in the sea-related technologies sector, inviting companies to create new synergies, finding in the research-driven aggregation the strength to develop projects and initiatives capable of increasing the companies’ competitiveness, also with the support of the DLTM itself.
The next rendezvous will thus be Seafuture 2018, which will take place in the La Spezia Naval Base from May 23rd to 25th 2018.
Augusto Vecchi
