THE’Underwater Economybranch of the blue economy, contains all those economic activities that are linked to the submarine environment: the development of advanced underwater technologies, the extraction of marine resources (minerals, oil and gas), renewable energies, fishing, aquaculture and protection of marine ecosystems at national and international level.
For all these reasons, the interest in the sector has grown very quickly in the last twenty years. In this sense, the Underwater has a leading role even for the resource managementcrucial for the energy safety global and power relations between nations. But it is not just a matter of resources, because in the oceans it passes around a Million and a half kilometers of submarine cableswhich transport 98% of global communications. If we think about the future, we cannot exclude the hypothesis of hybrid wars, which could focus on precious resources such as cables, but also on vital infrastructures such as i gas pipelines and oil pipelines who pass on the ocean seabed, and whose supplies are always at risk during conflicts, and given the times that run, protect these structures is becoming more and more an imperative for global safety.
This type of economy is an expansion sector that is increasingly central to European policies, and Italy is investing in this sense both with a large specialist pole inaugurated only in 2023 in La Spezia, and with large companies that are investing in research and development projects.
Characteristics of the blue economy
This sector has very particular characteristics, first of all thehyperscrutability. This term refers to the to monitor and understand The submarine resources and activities, because at certain depths the environmental conditions are saying, and despite the technological progress of the last few years (including the use of submarine robots and super advanced sensors) the poor visibility makes the collection of data on ecosystems and natural resources really complex. Furthermore, although the seas and oceans represent a huge “natural capital” (they cover 70% of the globe and occupy an area of 360 million square kilometers) per day today there is still no systematic collection of marine data, and less than 20% of the seabed has been mapped with modern techniques. All this makes it dicile to make precise forecasts on the side of the economic impact.
The technology of the underwater economy, however, is constantly evolving, to meet the challenges of exploration and monitoring the underwater environment to be able to exploit its resources. Among these technologies stand out above all i advanced sonarwhich use sound waves to map the seabed and detect objects. For example, the side scan sonar and the Sonar 3D They allow to view detailed seabed seabed, and are extremely useful for mining and sustainable fishing.
Another fundamental innovation in this field is that of acoustic monitoring systems to keep an eye on marine ecosystems. These sensors perceive the natural sounds of marine animals to monitor biodiversity and detect changes in their behaviors. But there are also i underwater robots which use acoustic technologies to navigate and communicate in dark environments and large depths to collect as many data as possible.
Always at the level of technological innovation, there are also Sottomarine acoustic communication technologies which are used to transmit and receive information in real time between submarine devices, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) or underwater robot (ROV). Unlike monitoring systems, this type of technologies actively sends sound signals that are then received and interpreted to exchange data, such as navigation information or results of scientific surveys. These technologies are essential for autonomous submarine operations, in which radio signals cannot be used.
Finally, there is also theacoustic imagingwhich is used for non -invasive inspections of submarine infrastructures such as gas pipelines and oil platforms.
The challenges of the sector, between resource management and technological innovation
Despite its enormous potential, the underwater economy meets several challenges that require management and nopranial attention and a real international cooperation that manages to guarantee a right exploitation of resources. Without forgetting that the challenge will also be on technological innovationswhich will have to be able to face the darkest waters.
The latter will in fact be among the most expensive challenges: the research and development sector of the Underwater Economy requires enormous investments to discover underwater technologies that can work in high pressure environments and poor visibility. At the moment, the resources intended for research are still insucative, and precisely this aspect limits progress especially in the field of those marine areas that are still unexplored or almost unexplored.
Among the most urgent challenges, however, there is the sustainable resource management (whether they are minerals, rare lands, fish or energy) whose demand grows year by year relentlessly. Without adequate regulations by international institutions, overfishing (excessive fishing) and excessive extraction of minerals could lead to irreversible damage to marine ecosystems, up to their complete destruction. Find a balance between the extraction and the storage of the environment It will be essential for the future of this economy, and in this international treaties and respect for the companies in the sector will be essential. To pursue this, the activities of independent observers and satellite monitoring of fishing fleets will be fundamental. In fact, both help to identify the violations of the regulations, such as illegal fishing, not declared and unregulated.
Another great challenge will be that of Reduce and fight marine pollution caused by plastic, heavy metals, oil and chemicals often dispersed without regard towards ecosystems, but which in the long run stratifications giving away a chain of harmful events not only for fauna and marine flora, but also for the impact on industries related to the sea, such as underwater tourism and fishing. In this sense, it will be necessary for governments Promote awareness on the value and fragility of these ecosystems.
The third and final challenge is no different, however. However complex due to the transnational nature of the oceans, a iron will also be necessary regulation of the submarine economy with international laws and treaties which protect marine resources and avoid overfishing and pollution. In fact, international waters are not under the direct control of a specific state, and this makes the implementation of environmental regulations and resource management.
The future of the submarine economy
The growth prospects of the submarine economy from 2025 to 2050 are extremely promising. In particular, it will be the marine energy sector (the energy from the tides, the waves and the wind turbine) to see a significant expansion, thanks to the growth of the demand for renewable energy who will guide investments in these technologies.
The underwater technologies they will see rapid development, especially in the context of Defense and security submarinewhere the adoption of advanced submarines and underwater drones will increase, fueling the growth of the military sector. In Italy, important steps are being taken in this sense thanks to National Pole of the diving dimension (PNS) inaugurated in 2023 in La Spezia, which promotes, develops and coordinates the synergies of the different national excellence in the sector to develop new means.
According to the analyzes of Fincantieri, leader of the sector, between 2025 and 2033, the Underwater economy will have a total value of approximately 400 billion euroswhich will include various sectors, including Energy Offshore, Defense, ICT (information technologies for information and communication), Deep Sea Mining (extraction of mining resources) and Oil & Gas.
In particular, in the defense sector (with budgets revised up in many European countries), world geopolitical tensions continue to support large investments on the submarine front. In a scenario like this there are companies such as Fincantieri who, in addition to having more than 100 years of experience in the construction of submarines, knows how to combine civil and military skills to create super -technological ships and maritime systems. Among the many assets projects there is also the development of three U212NFS submarines (Near Future Submarine) For the Italian Navy, who from 2027 will monitor the maritime and underwater communication routes also in the context of NATO and EU alliances. In addition to this and many other projects, it is also developing solutions for the surveillance and protection of cables submarineswhich as we have said are essential for global communications.
