Fincantieri's projects between inclusion and community

As the Paralympics approach their conclusion, the value of sport as a tool for inclusion, resilience, and social transformation comes back into focus. This message goes beyond the competitive dimension and resonates in the business world as well. In this context, the commitment of Fincantieri, sponsor of MiCo - Milan Cortina 2026, stands out - having strengthened a series of initiatives dedicated to disability, inclusion, and the promotion of a culture of respect in recent years. Support for the Paralympic movement is part of a broader path that the shipbuilding group has long pursued in the area of social responsibility and attention to vulnerabilities.

"Our commitment to disabilities stems from a broader path that Fincantieri has long been pursuing on the theme of vulnerabilities and respect," commented Lorenza Pigozzi, Executive Vice President and Director of Strategic Communication of Fincantieri Group. "We chose to support the Paralympics because they extraordinarily represent the human ability to transform a lack into a new strength. Paralympic sport reminds us that the body can lose something, but the human will has an equally extraordinary capacity: that of rebuilding itself. It is a powerful lesson in inclusion, respect, and determination: the human body is not defined by what it lacks, but by what the mind is still capable of imagining. That is why we support the Paralympics, which clearly narrate this transformation and contribute to spreading a broader culture of inclusion and respect."

Lorenza Pigozzi, Executive Vice President and Director of Strategic Communication of Fincantieri Group

A commitment that is not limited to the symbolic dimension but translates into concrete projects capable of involving employees, communities, and institutions.

Among these stands out the support for the WOW - Wheels on Waves - Around The World project, promoted by Difesa Servizi and the Ministry of Defense. The initiative, lasting three years, saw the realization of a round-the-world trip aboard “Lo Spirito di Stella”, the first fully accessible catamaran in the world, helmed by disabled skipper Andrea Stella.

The journey represented much more than a sporting or nautical endeavor: it was a global message of inclusion and breaking down barriers. In three years of navigation, the catamaran visited 80 ports across different continents, covering over 40,000 nautical miles and involving about 500 participants. A journey that demonstrated how even in complex contexts like navigation, it is possible to design and create fully accessible environments, offering everyone the same opportunities for experience, training, and participation.

Within this initiative, Fincantieri also directly involved its employees and their families. Over twenty collaborators from the group, along with their children - including children and young people with disabilities - had the opportunity to board “Lo Spirito di Stella” and experience a training day dedicated to approaching navigation. Alongside Andrea Stella, participants were able to concretely experience what it means to face the sea by overcoming obstacles and limits, transforming difficulties into achievable goals.

Furthermore, as a testament to its support for the most vulnerable categories, Fincantieri supports the “Fondazione Tender to Nave Italia ETS”, the largest operational brigantine in the world whose crew is made up of personnel from the Italian Navy that hosts educational and inclusive projects to break down prejudices about disability and social hardship, promoting solidarity, cooperation, and team spirit.

Alongside initiatives dedicated to disability, the group has also promoted broader programs related to the culture of respect and the prevention of social vulnerabilities. Among these is the “Respect for Future” project, a path that involved all the group’s shipyards - including that of Palermo - with a traveling program consisting of eleven stages and the overall participation of over 10,000 people. The initiative addressed the theme of violence and interpersonal relationships with a systemic approach, involving not only those who suffer violent behaviors but also those who enact them, with the aim of understanding the dynamics that generate them and activating real prevention paths.

"With “Respect for Future”, we wanted to address the issue of violence and respect in a systemic way," explained Lorenza Pigozzi. "We did not only address victims, but we chose to pay attention to those who act with violent behaviors, to understand their dynamics and activate real prevention paths. Fincantieri's goal is to build a culture of respect that involves everyone, women and men, because recognizing, listening, and acting is the first step towards concrete and lasting change".