Fincantieri redefines what it means to be a shipbuilder
Turning vessels into intelligent systems that learn, adapt and create value with every journey
For more than 230 years, Fincantieri has built some of the world’s most complex ships, from cruise liners and naval vessels to submarines. Yet while those vessels can operate for decades, Fincantieri’s role has traditionally ended when they leave the yard.
Today, advances in connectivity, data and AI are creating new opportunities to extend the value of a ship. A vessel can respond as technologies advance, operating conditions change and new needs emerge.
Fincantieri is moving quickly to realize that potential. Together with Accenture, the company formed Fincantieri Ingenium, a joint venture focused on digital maritime innovation, and launched Navis Sapiens, an AI-powered smart ship platform and digital ecosystem designed for continuous improvement after launch.
The first Navis Sapiens vessel entered service in February 2026. In addition to delivering estimated fuel savings of up to 5% and more efficient maintenance cycles, the platform will enable the company to play an ongoing role in the value each vessel creates.
Expected impact, by the numbers
~15%
improved cost of ownership
~5%
fuel savings
100%
real-time monitoring of core systems
Building the ship’s brain
Turning Fincantieri’s vision into reality required a new approach to how ships are designed, connected and improved over time.
Creating a new maritime business
Building Navis Sapiens required more than technology. It required a business model capable of growing the platform, services and partner ecosystem, guided by a shared commercial and operational vision.
Through Fincantieri Ingenium, both companies committed capital, leadership and accountability to the new digital maritime business. The joint venture is owned 70% by Fincantieri NexTech and 30% by Accenture.
The model aligns the companies around the same outcome and brings together capabilities rarely found in one organization: Fincantieri’s engineering and maritime expertise, and Accenture’s experience creating open platforms, applying data and AI, strengthening cyber resilience and connecting complex partner ecosystems.
This gives Fincantieri the foundation for a connected maritime business spanning ships, fleets and industry partners. Shipowners can access new digital services. Equipment manufacturers can bring specialized solutions into the ecosystem. Ports and other maritime organizations can participate in a more connected operating environment.
Designed to adapt
Fincantieri is carrying out this reinvention while its shipyards operate at full capacity, with ships committed through 2039. As it continues to deliver some of the world's most sophisticated vessels, it is also building a new digital maritime business that extends its role far beyond the shipyard and redefines what it means to be a shipbuilder.
The principle extends far beyond maritime. Any industry built around long-life assets, from transportation and infrastructure to energy and defense, can apply the same approach: designing assets not around assumptions about the future, but around the ability to adapt to it.
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