With the final review of the concessions in force, the leaseholders Amico & CO. Srl, Ferfrigor Porto Srl, Gennaro Srl, Lagomarsino Anielli Srl and Naval Diesel Srl officially took delivery of the fabrication sheds located in the Ship Repairs eastside site in the Port of Genoa.
The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Paolo Emilio Signorini, alongside the Secretary-General Paolo Piacenza, together with the President of the Shipbuilding and Repair Sector of the Genoa Confederation of Italian Industry, Paolo Capobianco, and the leaseholding companies.
The group of industrial sheds sited in the Genoa Ship Repairs area, in part built in the first decade of the 2000s and subsequently expanded with the construction of nine modules, feature an operational zone on the ground floor and extended back-up service and office space on the upper floors. The facilities were originally deployed exclusively as a storage area, but with the completion of the final certification approval process, the premises can to date be used as an operational site on the part of the companies operating in Genoa's vibrant ship repair industry. The remaining vacant two and a half modules are shortly set to be leased to applicants for operational purposes.
The ship repair, conversions and shipbuilding industry ranks as one of Genoa's primary industries and it continues to thrive as one of the leading facilities in the Mediterranean in terms of size and the high service quality offered. The eastside area alone, which stretches from Calata Gadda to the Fiera del Mare International Exhibition Site, caters for over 80 specialised companies equipped to provide the full range of services: yacht construction, ship repair and maintenance, high-tech and refurbishing works for all types of vessels, superyacht refits and sustainable shipbreaking and recycling. Over 1700 workers are employed directly in these shipyards and 1000 indirectly. The new Levante sheds are on track to accommodate 222 specialised workers of the 5 leaseholding companies: 70 from Amico & CO. Srl, 15 from Ferfrigor Porto Srl, 50 from Gennaro Srl, 75 from Lagomarsino Anielli Srl and 12 from Naval Diesel Srl.
In 2020 the Italian shipbuilding industry conquered second place in the exports ranking, directly behind the US, firmly establishing its leading position in the customs luxury range, and it is important to note that Liguria, and specifically Genoa, excels in the upper segment of the market worldwide. The marine industry is expected to continue to expand, both in terms of output and employment. In 2018 the leisure marine sector registered a +14.2% growth rate, compared to a +3.2% reported by the manufacturing industry.
