Ricardo Domínguez, Chairman of NAVANTIA: “We invest €100 million a year and have positioned our shipyards among the best in the world.”
• “The company has made the right decisions to be prepared to meet defence challenges.”
• Navantia will coordinate 24 companies from 14 countries in the NEREUS project, backed by the European Defence Fund (EDF).
• The company has signed collaboration agreements at FEINDEF 2025 with Leonardo, Rheinmetall, Diehl, and S2Grupo, among others.
Madrid, 13 May 2025 – Since 2019, Navantia has invested over €540 million to modernise and transform its production processes, representing an annual investment of nearly €100 million aimed at placing its shipyards among the most advanced in the world.
This was explained by its Chairman, Ricardo Domínguez, during the International Defence and Security Exhibition (FEINDEF) held in Madrid. Domínguez delivered the keynote speech “Navantia, spearheading innovation”, in which he outlined the initiatives transforming the company’s production centres, such as the digital block factory in Ferrol (A Coruña), the flat open units workshop in San Fernando (Cádiz), and the flat panel line in Puerto Real (Cádiz).
He emphasised that the company has made the right decisions in terms of investment, R&D, technological and industrial transformation, and human capital – all with the aim of being ready to respond effectively to future challenges.
Domínguez highlighted Navantia’s commitment to technological innovation as the cornerstone of its development, with R&D investment in 2024 exceeding 10% of the year’s revenue.
He also stressed that a significant portion of this R&D is linked to programmes for the Ministry of Defence, referring to some of the most technologically advanced frigates and the most sophisticated conventional submarines on the market, equipped with systems that ensure the superiority of the company’s vessels in an increasingly complex global environment.
Domínguez announced that the latest call from the European Defence Fund has selected the NEREUS project, in which Navantia coordinates 24 companies and organisations from 14 European countries. The programme is valued at €64 million, with up to €45 million in European funding. Its objective is to define the foundations of a “system of systems” for future European vessels, aiming to create a common infrastructure that enables integrated, multi-domain operations.
In light of the current geopolitical context, he remarked that the EU is making significant defence investment decisions, and the industry must be ready to respond effectively. He stated that it is the responsibility of the sector to turn that investment into operational capabilities for the armed forces, noting that at this year’s FEINDEF, Navantia has signed collaboration agreements with various Spanish and European companies (Leonardo, Rheinmetall, Diehl, and S2Grupo, among others).
Navantia currently drives an ecosystem of nearly 3,000 suppliers, two-thirds of which are Spanish. Domínguez stated that Spain’s defence ecosystem – from large companies to SMEs – is of the highest level of excellence and quality. He added that Navantia plays a key driving role in promoting innovation and technological advancement throughout the value chain, as well as its internationalisation.
Disruptive Innovation
At this edition of FEINDEF, the latest developments from Navantia’s disruptive innovation unit, Monodon by Navantia, were also showcased. This unit has been working for two years on the development of bioinspired robots. Its director, Patricia Sierra, presented one of the latest prototypes developed by her team – an underwater drone inspired by a manta ray, with dual-use applications in both defence and civilian sectors.
Navantia’s stand also featured the COEX network – the Centres of Excellence that embody Navantia’s innovation strategy. This network includes six centres specialising in key cross-cutting disciplines crucial to the future of shipbuilding and renewable energy.
Collaboration Agreements
At this edition of FEINDEF, Navantia announced several collaboration agreements:
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Leonardo to jointly market naval defence solutions that complement both companies’ product portfolios.
• An extension of the MoU with S2Grupo to strengthen their strategic alliance in cyber defence, aiming to develop advanced, modular, and adaptable technological solutions to meet current and future security needs of the Armed Forces, both nationally and in international coalitions.
• An MoU with Diehl to jointly explore the development and integration of naval air defence systems.
• An MoU with Rheinmetall Air Defence, Rheinmetall Expal Munitions, and SAPA Placencia to combine their strengths and collaborate on the development of advanced technologies that enhance Europe’s strategic autonomy in the defence sector.
To watch a summary video of Navantia’s participation, click here
During the meeting, both institutions explored concrete opportunities for collaboration. Among them, the organization of procurement delegations, B2B events, and international trade fair visits stood out as strategic tools to deepen commercial connections between Spain and Türkiye.
This initiative also opens the door for sector-specific events in Spain, reciprocal delegation visits, and knowledge-sharing formats, such as best practice and technical visits to key institutions.
