Deep Blue kicks off its France–Italy series with a conference on naval cooperation

Entitled “France–Italy Naval Cooperation: Industrial Sovereignty, Strategic Autonomy and Maritime Security in a Fragmented World”, this first meeting marked the start of a series of discussions between France and Italy on the major contemporary maritime challenges.

At a time when maritime areas are once again becoming key theatres for strategic competition, the projection of maritime power and the safeguarding of supplies, dialogue between Paris and Rome appears more essential than ever. Two major Mediterranean nations, two European maritime powers, two countries with strong industrial traditions: France and Italy share a particular responsibility for shaping a European response to the maritime challenges of the 21st century.

For this inaugural conference, Deep Blue was delighted to welcome Jean-Marie Dumon, Deputy Director and Defence and Security Delegate at GICAN (Groupement des Industries de Construction et Activités Navales), as well as Emmanuele Panero, Head of the Defence and Security Desk at CeSI (Centro Studi Internazionali).

Their contributions provided an opportunity to compare French and Italian perspectives on the future of naval cooperation in Europe. Discussions focused in particular on the role of the shipbuilding industry in European sovereignty, the need to strengthen industrial cooperation, security challenges in the Mediterranean, and the conditions for credible strategic autonomy in a fragmented world.

This discussion also highlighted the pivotal role played by industrial and strategic actors in safeguarding European maritime interests. In the face of intensifying international rivalries, rising tensions at sea and the rapid transformation of defence technologies, Franco-Italian cooperation is a key driver for consolidating Europe’s defence industrial and technological base.

Looking beyond the purely military dimension, this conference served as a reminder that naval issues have wider implications for the security of maritime routes, the protection of critical infrastructure, the resilience of European economies and the ability of states to act within their immediate maritime environment.

With this first event, Deep Blue is launching a series of discussions focusing on Franco-Italian maritime relations, which will explore a number of themes: defence, industry, sovereignty, the Mediterranean, the blue economy, maritime security and European cooperation.

Through this series of events, Deep Blue aims to create a forum for dialogue between students, young professionals, experts, institutions and industry stakeholders, with a view to gaining a better understanding of the strategic shifts currently taking place in maritime spaces.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Jean-Marie Dumon and Emmanuele Panero for their excellent presentations, as well as to all those who took part in this first conference.

Against an international backdrop characterised by the resurgence of power struggles, the sea is once again becoming a key arena for sovereignty, cooperation and power. This inaugural conference served as a reminder of just how much Franco-Italian dialogue can contribute to shaping Europe’s maritime future.