November 27, 2025 – King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), one of the most prestigious research institutions in the Middle East, and Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups, through its Foundation (Fondazione Fincantieri), jointly decided to establish a dedicated scholarship aimed at supporting young researchers in the fields of maritime security, cyber-resilience, and emerging applied navigation technologies.
The initiative follows the signing of an MoU last January and reflects the shared commitment of both organizations to promoting excellence in education and technology transfer, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The scholarship will enable young and talented researchers to develop innovative solutions to counter new threats to navigation, such as recent cases of AIS and GPS spoofing, which can alter vessel positions and compromise the safety of shipping routes.
The programme will focus on three strategic areas: the advanced authentication of AIS signals to prevent manipulation; the opportunistic detection of GPS spoofing through intelligent satellite data analysis, and star-based position verification enhanced by machine learning algorithms.
The goal is to develop an operational software platform that can be integrated into on-board digital systems, strengthening the collaboration between universities and industry and contributing to the growth of the Fincantieri Digital Ecosystem (FDE).
“Fincantieri renews its commitment to training and innovation in the Kingdom.” commented Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri. “The scholarship with KAUST represents a bridge between academia and industry, and a strategic step towards creating high value-added local skills. It also confirms Fincantieri’s focus on Saudi Arabia, as well as its commitment to generating lasting value for future generations and for the economies of both countries.”
“This partnership with Fincantieri will help nurture the next generation of scientific talent in navigation security, tackling major threats to global trade infrastructure,” said Roberto Di Pietro, Professor of Computer Science at KAUST. “By advancing fundamental research in AI-driven maritime cybersecurity and resilient autonomous navigation systems, we will help develop and safeguard future intelligent shipping platforms”.