Naples, 16 July 2024 – Next Geosolutions Europe S.p.A., a leading international company in the field of marine geosciences and offshore construction support services mainly in the energy sector, with a focus on renewable energies (“NextGeo” or the “Company“), listed on the Euronext Growth Milan market, announces the awarding of the tender for Marine Habitat Mapping called by Invitalia on behalf of the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), for a total value of approximately €42.5 million.

The initiative is part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) for the period 2021-2026 (specifically in Mission 2 ‘Green Revolution and Ecological Transition’, with special reference to Investment 3.5 ‘Restoration and Protection of Seabed and Marine Habitats’), in which €400 million has been allocated for the restoration and protection of Italy’s seabed and marine habitats. The project of great relevance for the promotion of environmental sustainability and the protection of Italian marine ecosystems aims to carry out an accurate mapping of deep-water marine habitats.

The project foresees the achievement of the following specific objectives: mapping and characterisation of marine habitats; restoration of marine habitats; enhancement of research and observation of marine and coastal ecosystems; protection of biodiversity; and environmental awareness and education.

Specifically, NextGeo’s activities include mapping, Multibeam and Sub Bottom Profiler geophysical surveys, ROV, CTD and currentometry and technical data processing services and will take place over a two-year period. These operations will be carried out with 2 company-owned vessels, in the Italian seas, between 150 and 2000 metres deep, by a large team of highly specialised and qualified personnel.

Activities will take place along the Italian coasts and seas, covering an area of over 9,000 km2. The completion of the work is estimated by 30 June 2026.

Giovanni Ranieri, CEO of NextGeo, commented: “We are very pleased to have been awarded this very important contract, which allows us to collaborate with important institutional bodies and to put our know- how and expertise at the service of a project that includes a concrete commitment to environmental sustainability and protection as foreseen by the NRRP. A programme of work that embraces both the more technical and ethical aspects that characterise our work. Mapping and characterising marine habitats, working in close collaboration with ISPRA and Invitalia, allows us to provide detailed information on the biological, geological and physical characteristics of the different areas and represents an unmissable opportunity to raise awareness, through research, for the protection and enhancement of the seabed of our peninsula and beyond.”

The company, in accordance with its corporate values, which aim at enhancing the value of its staff and ensuring Gender Equality, has demonstrated that it meets the necessary and fundamental specific requirements of the call for tenders concerning compliance with Equal Opportunities obligations.