Collaboration Unleashed: EDGE Group and Fincantieri Dive into Underwater Innovation
Abu Dhabi, UAE / Trieste, Italy / Paris, France: 5 November 2024 – EDGE, recognized as one of the foremost advanced technology and defense corporations globally, alongside Fincantieri, one of the preeminent shipbuilding enterprises worldwide, has today formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement unlocks new pathways for strategic cooperation in the promising underwater sector. The MoU facilitates collaboration between the two entities in the design, development, and implementation of cutting-edge manned and unmanned underwater system capabilities in the United Arab Emirates, through their newly established, Abu Dhabi-based shipbuilding partnership, MAESTRAL. This initial agreement will lay the foundation and enhance the development of sophisticated solutions tailored to meet the distinct underwater requirements of naval forces across the globe.
This partnership signifies EDGE Group’s inaugural exploration into the underwater sector, empowering both organizations to exchange knowledge and capitalize on extensive technical and manufacturing resources to create an array of innovative, interoperable manned and unmanned offerings – thereby propelling the UAE’s sovereign capacities in state-of-the-art defense technologies, benefiting the UAE and other naval forces globally.
The MoU was endorsed by Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director & CEO of EDGE Group, Dr. Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO & Managing Director of Fincantieri Group, and was observed by Khaled Al Zaabi, President – Platforms & Systems, EDGE, Dario Deste, General Manager of the Fincantieri Naval Vessels Division, along with other delegates from the Naval Vessels Division at EURONAVAL, the premier naval defense exhibition currently taking place in Paris.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, articulated: “This memorandum of understanding between Fincantieri and EDGE reflects a strong dedication to forging innovations in underwater technologies, merging engineering excellence with a visionary approach. The underwater space introduces distinctive challenges, ranging from fluid dynamics to communication and autonomy, which necessitate inventive and resilient solutions. Together, our goal is to create systems that adhere to the highest standards of interoperability, addressing vital demands within both the defense and energy industries. Our initiatives are aimed at establishing new benchmarks in safety, resilience, and ecological responsibility in underwater operations, significantly enhancing both national capacities and global maritime security.”
Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director & CEO of EDGE, noted: “In merely five years, EDGE has ambitiously broadened its influence across all realms of advanced technology and defense. From the very beginning, we acknowledged that it is solely through collaboration and partnership that we can cultivate the technologies and knowledge essential for EDGE to excel in air, land, sea, cyber, and space domains. Our ongoing collaboration with Fincantieri epitomizes this strategy, unlocking boundless possibilities for both entities in the joint development and production of state-of-the-art surface and underwater naval solutions.”
