Fast Facts

• The National Underwater Hub (PNS) was officially launched in December 2023 after a 2021 parliamentary resolution.
• It brings together 251 organizations, including ministries, universities, research centers, and private companies.
• The PNS aims to be Italy’s central platform for underwater research, security, and technology development.
• Strong emphasis is placed on public-private collaboration and the inclusion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
• The initiative is viewed as critical to national security, innovation, and Italy’s global competitiveness.

Deep Ambitions: A New National Strategy

Picture a control room humming with quiet urgency, screens glowing with maps of submarine cables and dark blue depths. This is not a scene from a Cold War thriller, but the vision behind Italy’s latest national security venture: the Polo Nazionale della dimensione Subacquea, or PNS Foundation. In a world where the unseen world beneath the waves holds the keys to critical infrastructure and future warfare, Italy is racing to establish its own underwater nerve center - a “hub” blending innovation, security, and collaboration.

From Parliamentary Vision to Sea-Floor Reality

The idea for the PNS surfaced in 2021, when Italy’s parliament unanimously recognized the urgent need to address underwater security. The Italian Navy, long aware of the vulnerabilities and opportunities beneath the Mediterranean, pressed for a coordinated response. By December 2023, the PNS Foundation opened its doors, uniting ministries, universities, industry federations, and research institutes under one roof. The goal: to make the hub the beating heart of Italy’s underwater ambitions - much as NASA’s mission control guides spaceflight, the PNS would steer underwater exploration, defense, and innovation.

The governance structure is intentionally public, but with immediate and structured involvement from private companies. This hybrid approach is rare in Europe, where underwater initiatives often remain siloed. The PNS’s unique model is designed to combine the strategic oversight of the state with the agility and creativity of private enterprise, especially crucial for developing advanced technologies for submarine cables, underwater drones, and cybersecurity.

Innovation, Security, and the Battle for the Deep

Why does all this matter? The seabed is the new frontier for both commerce and conflict. Undersea cables carry 99% of global internet traffic, making them prime targets for espionage or sabotage - concerns amplified by recent incidents like the Nord Stream pipeline attacks and suspected cable tampering in the Mediterranean. As cyber threats and hybrid warfare grow, control over the underwater domain is as vital as air or space superiority.

The PNS Foundation is betting on research-driven innovation, opening its state-of-the-art facilities to universities, SMEs, and research teams. By fostering cross-pollination of technical know-how, it hopes to spark breakthroughs in underwater robotics, data security, and marine monitoring - technologies that will secure not just Italy’s infrastructure, but its economic and geopolitical standing.

Collaboration as Core Defense

At the heart of the initiative is an insistence on collaboration. By mandating that grant winners physically work within the hub’s facilities, the PNS encourages face-to-face exchange among scientists, engineers, and strategists. This “collision of minds” is where disruptive ideas are expected to emerge. Roberta Pinotti, PNS Foundation president, sums it up: “The hub must become the national center for diving, where the exchange of experience, knowledge, and ideas is sustained by physical presence.”

WIKICROOK

• Submarine Cables: Submarine cables are undersea fiber-optic wires that transmit most of the world’s internet and communication data between continents.
• Hybrid Warfare: Hybrid warfare mixes military, cyber, and information tactics to destabilize opponents, allowing states or groups to cause disruption without direct conflict.
• Public: In cybersecurity, 'public' describes data or resources open to everyone, lacking access restrictions and often more vulnerable to threats.
• Underwater Drone: An underwater drone is a robotic device used to inspect, monitor, or repair underwater cables and structures without the need for human divers.
• Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): SMEs are businesses with limited staff and revenue, recognized as key drivers of innovation and economic growth, especially in technology sectors.