Genoa, the "data port" at the heart of the underwater revolution

Liguria's entry into the PNS (National Underwater Dimension Pole) is becoming a reality thanks to a recent regional resolution.

The PNS is a strategic center for research, development, and technological innovation, inaugurated in December 2023 in La Spezia, dedicated to the underwater world. The facility brings together around 90 entities, including the Navy, businesses, startups, universities, and research centers.

Liguria is participating with an allocation of 10 million euros from European funds, distributed over the 2026-2028 three-year period. This investment consolidates the leadership of the region, and particularly of Genoa, in a sector that is increasingly strategic for defense, scientific research, underwater technologies, and the management of global digital infrastructures.

In this scenario, Genoa strongly emerges as a benchmark maritime city in the Mediterranean, capable of combining port tradition with advanced innovation. The Ligurian capital is, in fact, establishing itself as one of the main "data ports," thanks to the presence of internationally significant digital infrastructures. Among these, submarine fiber-optic cables represent crucial assets for global connectivity, such as the Unitirreno system, which connects Liguria to Sicily, and the 2Africa system, one of the most important digital networks in the world involving partners like Vodafone, Meta (Facebook), and Telecom Egypt, with a landing point in Sturla.

Genoa's centrality in this field is not limited to connectivity but also extends to infrastructure security. Submarine cables are particularly vulnerable because they are laid on the seabed and lack external protection, therefore requiring advanced technical solutions to ensure their integrity. In recent years, the city has developed distinctive expertise specifically in this field, becoming an innovation laboratory for underwater security. Between 2024 and 2026, an integrated protection system was implemented, based on armored physical infrastructures and sophisticated monitoring technologies, including underwater drones equipped with advanced sensors, capable of constantly monitoring the state of the seabeds and networks.

This ecosystem, where research, industry, and security are integrated, makes Genoa an increasingly attractive destination for international investors and operators interested in the development of the blue economy and digital infrastructures.

The strategic value of the sea for Liguria is also confirmed by the numbers. The blue economy generates 13.8% of the regional value added, equal to approximately 7.1 billion euros, compared to a national average of 4%, highlighting a unique specialization within the Italian landscape. The sector employs 15.4% of the regional workforce, with over 96,800 direct employees, and involves 10.9% of Ligurian businesses, about 16,853 companies—a percentage triple the Italian average. A particularly dynamic performance is also recorded on the export front: driven by shipbuilding, one of the symbolic sectors of the territory, Ligurian exports grew by 6.6% in 2025, double the national average.

In this context, Liguria's entry into the National Underwater Dimension Pole represents much more than an investment: it is a development accelerator that strengthens Genoa's positioning as a strategic platform for innovation, security, and global connectivity, making it increasingly competitive and attractive for new high-tech investments.