Fincantieri and the Italian Institute of Technology Foundation have signed a letter of intent to explore the possibility of starting joint initiatives in the field of robotics to be applied to the production and the safety of operators/workers.

The agreement was signed by Professor Giorgio Metta, scientific director of the Italian Institute of Technology Foundation, and by Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and managing director of Fincantieri.

The collaboration will initially focus on the development of prototype robotic systems, described as both autonomous and collaborative, for the execution of remote inspections and assistance to operators for specific production and logistics activities, and on the introduction of technologies dedicated to high-risk operations (including work at height).

The aim of the cooperation is to improve workers’ safety levels and the efficiency of production processes.

Claudio Cisilino, executive vice president operations, corporate strategy and innovation at Fincantieri, commented: “Workplace safety and technological innovation are our guiding principles and underlie the actions envisaged by Fincantieri’s business plan with the ambition to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

“Our aim is to integrate systems improving the operational capacity of the group’s human capital. We firmly believe that innovative robotic platforms have the potential to revolutionize the health and safety conditions of workers, especially in heavy industries,” added Darwin Caldwell, head of the advanced robotics (ADVR) laboratory of the Italian Institute of Technology.

“We are thrilled to start the collaboration with Fincantieri, to match the most promising technological proposals in the field of assistive and inspection robotics, that we develop in our laboratories, combined with Fincantieri’s field experience.”