Fincantieri Launches Innovation Hub in South Korea
Image courtesy Fincantieri
Claudio Cisilino, Ambasciatrice Emilia Gatto & Marco Marinucci. Image courtesy Fincantieri
Fincantieri expanded its global innovation network with the launch of a new Innovation Antenna in South Korea, aiming to deepen ties with the region’s fast-growing maritime and high-tech ecosystem.
Announced during the Scaleup Summit Seoul 2025, the initiative is part of Fincantieri’s broader open innovation strategy and follows the company’s first Innovation Antenna established in Silicon Valley last year. The new hub, located in Seoul’s tech district, is designed to connect Fincantieri with Korean startups, research centers, and industry players in shipbuilding, robotics, and automation.
South Korea is a global shipbuilding leader and a rising innovation powerhouse. According to Mind the Bridge’s new "Tech Scaleup South Korea 2025 Report", the country is home to over 2,100 scaleups and has raised $71.6 billion in funding — investing 2.7% of its GDP in the startup sector, among the highest globally.
The hub also supports Fincantieri’s interest in dual-use and defense-tech innovation. A second report presented at the summit, "Dual Use Technologies 2025", highlights South Korea’s 462 dual-use scaleups with $8.3 billion in funding, positioning the nation as a strategic player in technologies with both civilian and military applications.
With 99.7% of South Korea’s foreign trade moving by sea and massive investments in smart port infrastructure underway, Fincantieri’s move strengthens its foothold in one of the world’s most dynamic maritime markets.
