The La Spezia underwater hub will bring out startups. Here because
Between funding, bureaucratic simplification, industrial collaboration and internationalization support, the La Spezia hub could truly be a driving force for Italian startups. Pepe Moder's article taken from the quarterly Start Magazine
We are used to considering the startup phenomenon focused on solutions and services developed around the media, communication and commerce market. It is to all intents and purposes what we can define as the surface of the Internet, of digitalisation and of new enabling technologies. In reality, their innovative approach and method has long expanded the dimensional boundaries, dealing with medicine and health (Medtech), finance (Fintech) and insurance (Insurtech), agriculture (Agritech), manufacturing (Industry 4.0), to name the best known. These are in fact just some of the examples that see the birth and growth of innovative companies and startups capable of bringing value to the market and society, within a limited scope of rules, necessary to avoid speculation and deviance as happened in the media sector .
But there are numerous additional areas where the innovative approach of startups is making a difference. One of these, little covered in contemporary information literature, is certainly underwater technological innovation, both due to a lack of immediate consequences of the results, and due to the high costs of planning and implementation which limit the players and their exposure to the media circus. Yet, a possible future for human society lies precisely in the ocean depths: the development of underwater communities represents an area of great interest, not only for the engineering and environmental challenges it entails, but also for the potential it offers in terms of scientific research, resource exploration and environmental sustainability. With the increase in population and pressure on terrestrial resources, the exploitation of underwater spaces could offer new housing solutions and new opportunities for agriculture and industry.
Advanced underwater technology, driven by innovative startups around the world, is already exploring possibilities such as underwater habitats and renewable energy systems. This development could not only broaden our habitable horizon, but also stimulate advanced research in marine biology and ecology, contributing to a greater understanding of ocean ecosystems. The creation of underwater societies requires careful and sustainable planning to ensure the protection of marine ecosystems, presenting a unique opportunity to redefine our relationship with the ocean.
A MAP OF EMERGING COMPANIES IN UNDERWATER TECHNOLOGY
Now, however, let's get back down to earth for a moment, because to imagine and build the future it is necessary to plan the present, learning from the mistakes of the past. Innovation means skills, infrastructure, capital, system.
The underwater technological innovation market is establishing itself as a rapidly evolving sector full of potential. Startups in the underwater sector are playing a crucial role in the development of innovative technologies for both civil and military applications. These emerging companies are facing and overcoming significant obstacles, including the difficulty of navigating a complex regulatory landscape and the challenge of attracting adequate financing and investment.
A notable example is CCell (ccell.co.uk), a British startup that creates artificial coral reefs using seawater minerals and renewable energy. These barriers protect coasts from erosion and promote the regeneration of marine ecosystems. Another German startup, Planblue (planblue.com), is developing technology to map the seabed, using hyperspectral imaging and artificial intelligence, to monitor plastic pollution and seabed restoration efforts.
In the United States, Innovasea (innovasea.com) is working on open and precision aquaculture solutions for sustainable food production. These technologies integrate submersible cages and advanced hardware with intelligent sensors and environmental monitoring systems.
In the blue technology sector, Finland-based Origin by Ocean (originbyocean.com) is tackling the global problem of ocean eutrophication by transforming invasive algae into specific compounds used in the food and cosmetics industries. CleanHub (cleanhub.com), based in Berlin, focuses on managing plastic waste in coastal regions, preventing it from entering the oceans. Seads (seadefencesolutions.com), the startup based in the United States and founded by Italians Mauro Nardocci and Fabio Dalmonte, starts from a different point of view: cleaning up the rivers, responsible for 80% of plastics spilling into the sea.
On the ship cleaning and inspection front, Neptune Robotics (neptune-robotics.com) offers robotic services for cleaning and inspecting ship hulls. These services include hull cleaning with cavitation technology and complete vessel inspection.
In the field of underwater acoustic solutions, Canadian startup Marecomms (marecomms.ca) is developing an underwater acoustic modem called Roam, which enables reliable wireless transmission of images, video and sensor data. Pytheas Technology (pytheas-technology.com), a French startup, designs and manufactures transducers and hydrophones for short- and long-distance underwater communication. RanMarine USA (wasteshark.us) has focused on an autonomous aqua-drone called WasteShark, which removes marine debris and collects critical data on water quality.
THE ITALIAN CHALLENGE OF THE LA SPEZIA POLO
This is what happens outside our borders. In Italy, the recent inauguration of the national underwater center in La Spezia marked an important stance – hopefully structural, like the IIR in Genoa – towards innovation, in this specific case underwater: the center wants establish itself as a crucial hub , catalyzing its growth and innovation.
Startups, as we have seen, are already working on a wide range of technologies, from sustainable aquaculture to the exploration and mapping of the seabed, passing through the cleaning and maintenance of ship hulls with advanced robotic technologies. But they need a pillar to which they can refer in order to grow, generate innovation and establish themselves.
In the panorama of this magmatic sector in constant and feverish evolution, the national hub of the underwater dimension of La Spezia can truly emerge as a lifeline, a beacon of hope in a sea of challenges and opportunities. In fact, we must necessarily take into consideration that the waters in which these innovative companies navigate are shaken by waves of difficulty, but also rich in unexplored potential.
The first and perhaps greatest challenge is that of access to capital. Italian startups often struggle against currents of poor funding and cautious investors. In this scenario, the La Spezia Hub could emerge as a safe haven, a place where venture capital currents meet and unite, offering startups access to financial resources vital for their development and growth. Bureaucracy and regulation, with their intricately knotted webs, represent another major obstacle. Complex procedures and long wait times to obtain permits and approvals can trap startups in a paper maze. Here, the Hub can play a decisive role, cutting through this bureaucratic jungle and facilitating a more direct path to innovation.
Another critical point is the collaboration between universities and industry, often divided by a sea of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. The Hub can act as a bridge between these two worlds, combining academic discoveries with practical and commercial applications, and promoting a synergy that can only benefit the sector as a whole.
ESTABLISH A MENTORSHIP SYSTEM
The mentoring and support network is essential in such a technical and specialized industry. We see in this area a unique opportunity for the new entity to establish a mentorship system, connecting startups with industry experts and successful entrepreneurs who can offer a treasure trove of practical advice and strategic support.
Let's not forget the aspect of infrastructures and technical resources, vital for the development and testing of underwater technologies: the transition from paper to prototype is too often a test bed that risks failing only due to the lack of valid interlocutors with whom rely. The large companies that are part of the project have a crucial role in this specific area and must address the issue not only from a purely economic return point of view on the bottom line of their balance sheet.
Finally, internationalisation: given the complexity of the environment in which competition develops, it certainly has a horizon that many Italian startups aim to achieve. Here is therefore a further role that the Hub can play: helping to build international networks and providing support for the exploration of foreign markets, thus broadening the horizons of Italian startups in the diving sector, acting as a catalyst for growth and innovation.
With support in terms of funding, bureaucratic simplification, collaboration between research and industry, mentoring , infrastructure and internationalization support, the Hub can truly provide startups with the resources and environment needed to overcome challenges and promote the development of solutions innovative technologies in the underwater sector, despite its enactment being under public law. Aside from controversy, the country system needs accelerators of adequate size and financial capacity that go beyond the short political horizon of the single legislature, to allow Italian professional excellence to compete with international peers. So all that remains is to wish him good luck.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/economia/polo-subacqueo-la-spezia-startup/ on Sun, 31 Mar 2024 05:30:30 +0000.