Cruise shipbuilder Fincantieri and Mapei, provider of chemical products for the construction sector, have signed a strategic co-operation agreement to develop research and innovation projects.
This partnership will help Fincantieri optimise installation times, reduce the weight of certain materials, improve acoustic insulation by using specific products, develop and extend the use of adhesives products in some shipbuilding applications, the shipbuilder said.
The joint research issues will mainly concern the development of a wide range of products, including adhesives, underfloor structures, surface materials (technical and finishing), grouts, supporting wall panels, detergents for the cleaning of furnished areas, materials and protection systems for furnished areas, thermal, acoustic and mechanical insulation.
In the start-up phase, the research will take in a number of materials and resins for innovative and high quality finishes, waterproofing of wet areas, as well as textiles, which have high sound absorption characteristics.
Furthermore, the agreement will encourage joint training activities, with the aim of improving capacity in terms of product and process.
Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri CEO, said:“The co-operation with Mapei, worldwide leader in its market segment, is wholly consistent with our strategy of increasing the final added value of the product we provide. For this reason, we need partners sharing our same commitment to innovation, helping us to develop new ideas and projects in specific fields.
Giorgio Squinzi, Managing Director of Mapei and CEO of Mapei Group, added: “The agreement signed with Fincantieri represents an important starting point for R&D activities of Mapei. With this collaboration, the sharing of information and knowhow will be crucial to make Mapei a major actor in the marine industrial market.
“Our production already includes a line dedicated to this sector but, thanks to this co-operation, we can improve it and increase our offer of high performing products specifically formulated to meet the different needs of shipbuilding industry,”he said.
