New semi-serial production market for Italian tender company
Castoldi’s got a big secret, one that Giacomo Castoldi (pictured above) is bursting to tell . . . but he can’t share all the details yet.
In essence, as he told MIN on a site visit this summer, the Italian company’s designing and building a closed-tender with a Milanese designer. The long-term idea is that the limo will move toward semi-serial production.
Castoldi, says he’s “very excited to enter a new market” and that an official announcement is due this autumn.
“We have never wanted to enter the limousine market before because they are usually one-offs strictly connected to the yacht.
“Since we focus on semi-serial construction to improve our product, we now have the opportunity to enter the limousine market with a semi-serial build,” he says. “We’re working with a designer from Milan. We’re combining our technologies with Italian design, and the first unit will be delivered at the end of this year.”
The company’s Jet Tender 19 RB SOLAS recently received Lloyd’s Register certification for a new low-lifting arrangement. This engineering certification enables storage in substantially reduced-height superyacht garages.
In the meantime, the company which also builds waterjet propulsion (the same propulsion systems go into its commercial and leisure tenders) is eyeing other new markets.
Castoldi is actively investing in innovation by adapting its technology for unmanned surface vehicles (USV/drones). It’s a forward-looking move into a growing defence and commercial tech space.
“We’ve already developed the control system to meet this market demand, which is a new potential market,” he says. It’s called ACES and was developed in collaboration with Xenta, an Italian company that handles the manufacturing.
Castoldi says he can’t share specific details as these are military projects covered by NDA agreements. But he offers that the company’s currently installing waterjets on several USV projects worldwide, along with the proprietary electronic control system.
The eagerly anticipated limousine is equipped with the same waterjets and control system used in some USV projects (around 12-13m boats) – but without the unmanned control components.
Continued R&D key to survival strategy
Castoldi is committed to adaptability with the company’s philosophy, and survival strategy, being continuous R&D investment.
But both the marine propulsion and the tender landscapes are highly competitive.
“We try to evolve . . . to meet the current market. We invest a lot in research and development, especially in the waterjet side. Because both the tenders and the waterjet are a very demanding markets you have always come out with new ideas to keep the company alive and kicking. It’s the only way to do it.”
