CDP Venture Capital is spearheading an innovative project aimed at digitalising and enhancing Italy’s marine and port-logistics sectors. Investors include Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, with the advisory support of the Innovation Center.
The newly launched Maritime Ventures” project was unveiled today, spearheaded by CDP Venture Capital. This initiative aims to facilitate the digital transformation of Italian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the nautical and port logistics sectors.
Established with support from the Boost Innovation Fund and in collaboration with the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the project boasts an initial budget of €8.7 million and has set a goal of creating ten new businesses over the next three years, with aspirations to raise up to €70 million. This ambitious initiative seeks to help address technological gaps and enhance the competitiveness of Italian SMEs in the shipbuilding, yachting, cruise and port logistics industries , fostering an innovative ecosystem to attract new investments and generate growth opportunities for the national economy.
Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo (FCSP) is one of the main investors, along with Bridgemaker, Cariplo Factory, Fincantieri, PSA Italy, and the Intesa Sanpaolo Group through Neva Sgr. and Friulia. Each of these partners brings unique resources and expertise, contributing to the development of new business initiatives and the promotion of a robust innovation ecosystem.
The involvement of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo aligns seamlessly with its mission to foster the development of Genoa and the Liguria region.
As noted by FCSP’s Secretary General, Alberto Anfossi, the Turin-based philanthropic organisation aims to enhance the positioning of Genoa and Liguria as an international innovation hub capable of attracting skilled human capital and new entrepreneurial initiatives, especially those with social and environmental impacts, within an ecosystem framework.
The Foundation views its participation as a means to bolster the competitiveness of the Italian system, particularly in strategic sectors like the maritime industry, which are essential to the nation’s economy.
The Venture Building model adopted by this project has been recognised by international studies as an effective tool for driving change and progress. It integrates and complements the innovation support measures already championed by the Foundation, ranging from research assistance to investments aimed at business growth.
The Intesa Sanpaolo Grouo is also playing a pivotal role in this initiative. In addition to contributing with the Fondo Sei, managed by Neva Sgr, through the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, which is dedicated to promoting and advancing innovation. The Innovation Center will facilitate interactions between project management and the SME ecosystem within the relevant production chains, fostering synergies between innovation and competitiveness.
The “Maritime Ventures” is a tangible response to the digitalisation and innovation challenges faced by Italian SMEs. It aims to create a dynamic and innovative ecosystem that can attract new investments and generate growth opportunities for the national economy..