TRIESTE – Fincantieri’s Maritime Security Hackathon has concluded: first prize went to Lares Technologies for a solution dedicated to the integrated coordination of maritime, aerial and underwater assets, both crewed and autonomous.
The initiative brought together startups, innovators, representatives of institutions, the defence sector and industry with the aim of developing new technologies for maritime security.
The event involved more than 70 participants, including industry experts, entrepreneurs, developers, representatives of the innovation ecosystem and engineering officers from the Italian Navy. Over two days of work, five teams developed Minimum Viable Products aimed at validating solutions applicable to real operational scenarios, with particular attention to maritime defence and the protection of critical underwater infrastructure.
The prototypes were connected to real hardware systems for an initial operational demonstration, integrating technologies such as virtual reality headsets, sensors and radar systems. The projects were then evaluated by a jury made up of experts from the Fincantieri Group, the defence sector and venture capital.
The main award went to Lares Technologies, a startup specialising in the development of advanced technologies for the coordination of autonomous systems and multi-domain platforms. The solution presented enables the integrated management of multiple vehicles operating in the underwater, surface and aerial domains, introducing coordination functions between manned and unmanned units.
A special mention was awarded to the EchoLock project, developed to improve acoustic detection capabilities in complex underwater contexts, characterised by variable operating conditions and environments that are particularly difficult to interpret. The selected solutions will now enter a dedicated acceleration programme at the AgorAI hub in Trieste. With the support of Fincantieri and the initiative’s partners, the teams will be accompanied through the next stages of technological development and validation, with the prospect of turning the projects into future industrial collaborations. AgorAI Innovation Hub is the new innovation ecosystem established in Trieste with the aim of creating one of Europe’s leading hubs dedicated to research and training in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. The project brings together scientific bodies, universities and companies to develop basic research, applied research and advanced training activities, with the objective of transforming technological innovations into concrete solutions to improve people’s quality of life. Ethics and the assessment of the social impact of new technologies are central principles of the initiative.
