RINA SERVICES SPA

Their core work

RINA Services is the technical services arm of RINA, one of Italy's oldest classification societies, providing inspection, certification, testing, and engineering consultancy across maritime, energy, and industrial sectors. In H2020 projects, they contribute ship safety assessment, risk-based design methodologies, robotics-aided inspection, and cybersecurity evaluation — drawing on decades of experience certifying vessels, offshore structures, and industrial systems. They bring real-world regulatory and certification expertise that helps research consortia bridge the gap between prototype and market-ready solutions. Their Genova headquarters places them at the heart of Italy's maritime industry cluster.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2015–2018, RINA focused on clean transport (methanol fuels, low-emission ships), bio-based materials (lignocellulose, bioresins), and foundational testing infrastructure (virtualised test environments, certification frameworks). From 2019 onward, the portfolio shifted markedly toward cybersecurity for critical infrastructure (healthcare, gas networks, railways), maritime robotics and AI-aided inspection, and shipping decarbonisation via ammonia engines and battery systems. The constant thread is maritime safety and certification, but the tools and domains have expanded considerably.

RINA is moving from traditional physical inspection and certification toward digital and autonomous inspection technologies combined with cybersecurity assessment — positioning itself as a maritime digital safety authority.

How they like to work

RINA overwhelmingly joins projects as a third party (15 times) or participant (12), coordinating only once (ROBINS). This pattern is typical of classification societies — they provide specialized certification, testing, or validation services to consortia rather than driving the research agenda. With 532 unique partners across 29 countries, they are a prolific but non-possessive collaborator, plugging into diverse consortia wherever independent verification, safety assessment, or regulatory expertise is needed.

Exceptionally broad network of 532 unique partners spanning 29 countries, reflecting their role as a trusted third-party that gets pulled into consortia across many domains. Strong ties to Mediterranean and Northern European maritime and industrial clusters.

What sets them apart

RINA brings something most research partners cannot: operational credibility as an internationally recognized classification and certification body. When a consortium needs independent safety validation, risk assessment, or a pathway to certification for a new technology, RINA provides that bridge to real-world deployment. Their combination of maritime domain depth with expanding digital and cybersecurity capabilities makes them especially valuable for projects that need to demonstrate regulatory readiness.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ROBINS
  Their only coordinated project — focused on robotic ship inspection, directly aligned with their core classification society mission.
• BIOMOTIVE
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 302,750) for bio-based polyurethanes in automotive, showing reach beyond maritime into materials certification.
• SafePASS
  Major safety project (EUR 254,375) developing next-generation evacuation systems for passenger ships, combining AI, augmented reality, and IMO regulatory frameworks.