Azimut-Benetti commits €100m to Tuscany as superyacht growth drives expansion

The slipway launch of Benetti’s latest Class 44M yacht, M/Y Lumina, has marked the start of a new €100 million investment programme in Tuscany as the Azimut-Benetti Group continues to expand its superyacht operations.

The investment follows a period of significant growth for the group, which says its production value doubled from €758 million in 2020 to €1.56 billion in 2025. Against that backdrop, the company plans to increase production capacity, strengthen engineering capabilities and expand its refit business across Tuscany between 2026 and 2028.

Tuscany remains central to superyacht operations

Tuscany is the operational centre of the group’s superyacht division, with 14 industrial sites across Viareggio, Livorno, Massa and Pisa, with those facilities accounting for 70 per cent of its global results.

The latest investment programme follows €77 million invested in Tuscany during the past three years and is intended to support both production growth and long-term technical development.

Planned projects include expanding production sheds, introducing new travel lifts, upgrading safety systems, installing photovoltaic systems, refurbishing management and client reception facilities, developing new yacht models and technologies, and expanding Lusben’s refit operations (Lusben completed a refit of M/Y Alfa, a 70-metre custom superyacht, in late 2025).

Workforce growth across the region

Growth in production has been accompanied by an increase in employment and supply-chain activity. Between 2020 and 2026, direct employment in Tuscany increased from 442 to 607 people.

Across the wider network, the group’s Tuscan sites now record around 3,800 daily presences, including personnel from more than 1,000 supplier companies working alongside Azimut-Benetti employees.

Focus on skills and training

Alongside investment in facilities, the group says it continues to invest in workforce development and specialist skills.

A key part of that strategy is its involvement with the ISYL Foundation (Italian Super Yacht Life), of which the company is a founding member.

According to Azimut-Benetti, more than 600 students have graduated through ISYL programmes since 2015. The company works with the foundation on training programmes intended to support the development of future professionals entering the superyacht sector.

Traditional launch for latest Class 44M

The launch of M/Y Lumina was carried out using a traditional slipway launch, a method with longstanding links to Viareggio’s shipbuilding heritage. At 44-metres, M/Y Lumina is a four-deck superyacht designed by Cassetta Yacht Designers and scheduled for delivery in summer 2026.

Benetti says the ceremony reflects the connection between the company’s yacht-building activities and Tuscany’s maritime industry, while also highlighting the region’s continuing role in the group’s future growth plans.