Rolls-Royce acquires Italian yacht supplier
Growing together: Rolls-Royce has acquired Italian yacht bridge and automation specialist Team Italia, expanding its mtu product portfolio for the yacht market. Denise Kurtulus (second from right), Vice President Marine at Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems Division, Clemens Berger (right), President Mobile Power Solutions, Massimo Minnella (left), Managing Director of Team Italia, and Daniele Ceccanti (second from left), Technical Director, are looking to expand from Rolls-Royce in the yacht market and grow globally.
Gemeinsam auf Wachstumskurs: Rolls-Royce hat den italienischen Yachtbrücken- und Automationsspezialist Team Italia übernommen und erweitert so sein mtu-Produktportfolio für den Yachtmarkt. Denise Kurtulus (zweite von rechts), Vice President Marine beim Rolls-Royce-Geschäftsbereich Power Systems, Clemens Berger (rechts), President Mobile Power Solutions, Massimo Minnella (links), Geschäftsführer von Team Italia, und Daniele Ceccanti (zweiter von links), technischer Direktor, wollen von Rolls-Royce im Yachtmarkt ausbauen und weltweit wachsen.
Rolls-Royce has acquired Team Italia/Onyx Marine, the Italian group specialising in yacht bridges and marine electronics.
Having begun collaborating on joint development projects in 2019, the two companies say they have agreed that the best way to realise strategic growth would be for Team Italia to become part of Rolls-Royce.
Team Italia, established in 2000, designs and develops integrated bridges and marine navigation and automation systems – mainly for Italian yacht builders and shipyards positioned prominently on the global yacht market. Today, Team Italia systems are in service around the world on some 350 yachts between 30m and 100m in length.
The news marks the latest expansion into the yacht market for Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems business unit. In June, Rolls-Royce opened a new €30m assembly plant for its mtu Series 2000 yacht engines in Kluftern near Friedrichshafen, Germany. In 2022, Ferretti Group renewed an ongoing supply agreement with Rolls-Royce to use its mtu engines to power its yachts until at least 2027.
“This acquisition is the next logical step on our way to becoming a provider of integrated solutions for the yacht industry,” says Denise Kurtulus, vice president marine in Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “Our products complement each other perfectly, and with this step, we expand our solutions portfolio significantly to enhance our market position and create further benefits for our customers.”
In addition to a mtu propulsion system, Rolls-Royce offers integrated bridge products as well as regulation, control, automation and navigation systems for yachts.
“We are proud and very happy to become part of the Rolls-Royce group,” said Massimo Minnella, managing director of Team Italia. “We strongly believe that in order to implement a structured expansion and maintain the high level of continuity and growth that will secure the future of our company, we need an excellent partner and marine expert like Rolls-Royce Power Systems at our side. We see excellent prospects for reaping benefits together in the global luxury yacht market.”
Daniele Ceccanti, technical director of Team Italia, adds: “Team Italia has always aimed to build products that make complex operations much simpler. By joining forces with Rolls-Royce Power Systems, it is moving another step forward in making increasingly complex systems that will equip the yachts of the future simpler and safer to operate.”
With the new name Team Italia Marine, the company continues to operate in the Italian cities of Fano, Livorno and Forlì. Its workforce of almost 60 employees, including all managers and key personnel will be taken over by Rolls-Royce.
Massimo Minnella will keep the role of managing director, and Daniele Ceccanti remains technical director. They will be supported by Nicola Camuffo, head of the Rolls-Royce mtu Yacht Competence Centre in La Spezia.
