Italy: Humanoid robot welder to help shipyards improve safety and efficiency

Italian robotics company Generative Bionics has partnered with shipbuilding leader Fincantieri to develop autonomous humanoid robots designed to assist in shipyard welding tasks. The collaboration aims to improve worker safety, efficiency, and production quality by deploying robots equipped with AI, advanced perception, manipulation, and vision capabilities. These humanoid robots will monitor welding seams and optimize movement to operate effectively in complex shipyard environments, enabling close human-robot collaboration while maintaining regulatory compliance. Development and testing will take place at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard, with initial operational functionality targeted within two years and further expansion planned over a four-year partnership. This initiative aligns with Fincantieri’s Industrial Plan to address increasing production complexity and a shortage of skilled labor by integrating Physical AI systems that support workers in repetitive and physically demanding tasks. The project also contributes to strengthening European technological sovereignty by leveraging expertise from research institutions and the industrial supply chain. Both companies view the partnership as a strategic step to enhance