Fincantieri Partners with Generative Bionics to Develop Humanoid Shipbuilding Robots
•February 13, 2026
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Why It Matters
The initiative tackles chronic skilled‑labor shortages and rising production complexity in shipbuilding, delivering a scalable automation solution that can boost efficiency and European maritime competitiveness.
Key Takeaways
- •Four‑year partnership to create humanoid welding robot.
- •Robots will work side‑by‑side with human shipyard workers.
- •Initial on‑site tests planned for end of 2026.
- •Project supports EU technological sovereignty and advanced manufacturing.
- •Physical AI aims to boost safety, quality, sustainability.
Pulse Analysis
Shipyards worldwide are grappling with a tightening labor market and increasingly complex vessel designs, prompting a surge in interest for collaborative robotics. Humanoid platforms, unlike traditional fixed‑axis arms, can navigate confined spaces and adapt to variable tasks, making them ideal for repetitive or ergonomically demanding operations such as welding. By embedding advanced perception and vision systems, these robots can monitor seam quality in real time, reducing rework and enhancing overall build integrity. This shift reflects a broader industry move toward Physical AI, where machine learning augments physical actions to achieve higher productivity and safety standards.
The Fincantieri‑Generative Bionics alliance leverages the shipbuilder’s deep manufacturing expertise with a cutting‑edge humanoid chassis designed for shipyard environments. Planned trials at the Sestri Ponente facility will assess locomotion, sensor fusion, and human‑robot interaction under real‑world conditions, with a goal of operational deployment within two years. Success hinges on meeting stringent maritime safety regulations while delivering measurable gains in weld precision and cycle time. If validated, the platform could be replicated across Fincantieri’s global network, accelerating the rollout of collaborative automation in large‑scale steel fabrication.
Beyond immediate productivity gains, the partnership signals a strategic push for European technological sovereignty in high‑value manufacturing. By nurturing home‑grown AI‑driven robotics, the EU aims to reduce reliance on external suppliers and foster a resilient supply chain for critical infrastructure sectors. The project also serves as a showcase for the commercial viability of humanoid robots in heavy industry, potentially spurring investment from other shipyards and related sectors such as offshore energy. As regulatory frameworks evolve, early adopters like Fincantieri will likely set the standards that shape the next decade of sustainable, automated shipbuilding.
Fincantieri partners with Generative Bionics to develop humanoid shipbuilding robots
Humanoid robots that can get into the same spaces that humans can are increasingly seen as part of the solution to shipyard labor and skills shortages. In the not too distant future, those robots could be at work in Fincantieri shipyards. The company has launched an industrial partnership with Generative Bionics, an Italian company focused on the development of autonomous humanoid robots.
The aim is to develop a humanoid welding robot designed to operate alongside humans in Fincantieri’s shipyards.
The collaboration is based on the integration of the shipbuilder’s industrial expertise with the robotic platform developed by Generative Bionics, with the goal of increasing safety and operational efficiency, improving production quality, and enhancing the sustainability of work in shipyards.
As an initial area of collaboration, the project involves the development of a humanoid robot designed to support specific welding activities in naval manufacturing. The humanoid will be equipped with artificial intelligence as well as advanced manipulation, perception, and vision capabilities dedicated to monitoring the welding seam, along with optimized locomotion to operate in complex environments. The system will prioritize safety, allowing collaboration with workers while fully complying with regulations and without limiting work areas.
The collaboration program is expected to span a total of four years, with a strong focus on rapid deployment in operational settings. Initial on-site tests are scheduled by the end of 2026, with the objective of making operational functionalities available within the first two years, followed by further refinement, expansion, and industrial certification activities thereafter. Development and testing activities will take place at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard, which will serve as the reference environment for industrial validation and certification of the technology.
The collaboration is part of Fincantieri’s broader strategy in advanced robotics, Physical AI and innovation, which represents one of the pillars of the group’s new industrial plan.
“In a context characterized by increasing production complexity and a growing shortage of skilled labor, the adoption of solutions based on Physical AI systems supports production continuity and assists workers in repetitive, physically demanding, or ergonomically challenging tasks, while maintaining high standards of quality and safety,” says Fincantieri .
For Generative Bionics, the project represents one of the first structured industrial validation pathways for its platform in a high-complexity manufacturing environment.
The partnership between Fincantieri and Generative Bionics also has strategic value within the framework of European technological sovereignty, leveraging excellence developed across the research and advanced industrial supply chain. The project complements other ongoing robotics validation initiatives within the Fincantieri Group, expanding the range of manufacturing activities that can be carried out using advanced solutions.
“Advanced robotics and artificial intelligence applied to industrial processes represent a strategic lever for the evolution of shipbuilding and for the competitiveness of the European industrial system,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and general manager of Fincantieri. “The collaboration with Generative Bionics is part of the transformation journey we are undertaking to strengthen our operational excellence, enhance the work of our people, and address in a structured way the challenges related to growing production complexity and the availability of specialized skills. In this context, the Sestri Ponente shipyard plays a central role as an industrial laboratory where technology, safety, and skills evolve together, allowing us to integrate advanced robotics solutions in support of the most demanding and repetitive tasks, while maintaining high standards of quality, sustainability, and labor protection.”
“The collaboration with Fincantieri is part of our path toward industrialization and market deployment,” said Daniele Pucci, CEO and co-founder of Generative Bionics. “Shipyards represent a strategic asset for global manufacturing, which is why we chose Fincantieri to demonstrate how our Physical AI solutions can translate into reliable, safe, and truly useful systems. This project enables us to develop humanoid robots designed around human work, capable of operating side by side with people and contributing to the long-term sustainability of highly intensive and specialized activities.”
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