At the headquarters of the Foreign Press Association, the press conference was held today in Rome Seafuture & Maritime Technologies 2016.
The biennial appointment which will take place in the naval base of the Navy of La Spezia from 24 to 27 May, now in its fifth edition, aims this year to achieve international relevance.
54 foreign navies were invited. The commander of the Northern Maritime Command, division admiral Roberto Camerini, highlighted some commercial achievements recently achieved with the sale of some units to the Bangladesh Navy: "the refitting and sale of the Navy units no longer on-line constitutes an advantageous alternative to demolition, since it generates employment for the national shipbuilding industry avoiding the demolition which would in any case involve risks for the environment. It is only by making the most of the use of the arsenal basins and making the most of the potential of the Navy's factories and plants that they can become dual and productive for the State and as autonomous as possible from a financial point of view.".
As soon as we mention how much the Navy is not new to the promotion of Italian companies, the admiral immediately remembers "The circumnavigation of Africa! An initiative of the chief of staff that was perhaps not adequately understood and appreciated at the beginning, but which demonstrated the extra gear that characterizes it".
Then recalling how much the Navy, with the naval program, is the protagonist and architect of the ongoing projects, the adm. Camerini adds - "When it comes to new technologies, companies need a guarantee in terms of orders that justifies the investments. If nothing is built, the wealth of know-how vanishes. Spending on a military ship also benefits 90% of the national gross domestic product. The minister understood this and supported the program".
Finally, let's ask a technical question: In the aeronautical field there are aircraft that will remain in service for 80 years (B-52). In the nautical field how long can a hull last? The answer is given with undisguised pride: "If it is properly maintained - and above all made in an Italian shipyard! - can hold. Obviously, something else must be mounted on a hull and at that point we must take into account the economic availability to decide which way to follow. Four of our eight class frigates Mistral have been updated in the past. The same is happening with half-life jobs for minesweepers in order to adapt them to more modern operating standards".
Cristiana Pagni, president of La Spezia EPS, a special company of the La Spezia Chamber of Commerce, underlined how Seafuture "demonstrates the strength and the ability to create a country system, through the naval sector and the small and medium-sized enterprises that are part of it, in synchrony with the large ones, united to implement the government's guidelines on defense and economy . Seafuture is also the will to look to the future through applied technology and the recovery of the existing ship: refitting and high technology for dual use".
We asked her if, wanting to become Seafuture an international event, foreign companies will also be present.
"We are working for the presence of a Brazilian, Iranian and Turkish delegation (already confirmed). There will certainly be lots of international visitors. The presence of numerous foreign marinas is already in itself a confirmation and represents an important goal for companies. Making contact with a foreign navy, relationships with the companies of the country of origin are automatically intertwined. Competitiveness passes through the creation of partnerships with the entrepreneurial realities present in countries ranging from Turkey to Australia".
Senator Lorenzo Forcieri (in the photo below, on the left), president of the Port Authority of La Spezia and of the Ligurian Sea Technologies District, also spoke at the press conference, underlining the importance of the event in a perspective aimed at increasingly develop synergies with other global maritime economic and technological realities.
We asked if, being a fundamental premise for the success of an event, political representatives will adequately support the event. The sen. Forcieri (former Undersecretary of Defense) replied smiling: "I hope so! The Minister of Defense will illustrate the initiative. The ministry of economic development and that of transport will play their part. He is absolutely right, many potential businesses can best be developed with political support, even better from government. As well as hostile initiatives by other governments ... For the moment we are fully satisfied with the support provided by the government, through the various ministries".
(Photo: Online Defense)
