22 April 2026
Press
Interview with Francesco Fiorentino, Composite Specialist of MICAD
Francesco Fiorentino, a cornerstone of MICAD for over fifteen years, holds a strategic position where engineering analysis meets the physical reality of the shipyard.
Francesco Fiorentino, a cornerstone of MICAD for over fifteen years, holds a strategic position where engineering analysis meets the physical reality of the shipyard. In an age of extreme digitalization, his role is to ensure that the “theoretical” yacht is fully buildable in practice.
An expert in composite materials and manufacturing processes, Francesco embodies the pragmatic side of the firm, turning complex structural designs into flawless execution.
Q: Francesco, you have been with MICAD since its earliest days. Beyond the growth of the team, how has your vision of what it means to “do engineering” evolved?
F: Being part of MICAD from the very beginning has meant witnessing a fundamental transition: from pure ambition to a codified method. Over the past fifteen years, the challenge has shifted from “can we do it?” to “how can we do it flawlessly?”. My own path has been one of progressive refinement. When you experience this kind of evolution, the firm stops being just a workplace and becomes a laboratory of continuous synthesis. We have built a technical language that, in this form, did not previously exist in Puglia, creating a bridge between local roots and international standards of excellence.
Q: Your main focus is the engineering of composite materials. If you had to define your work beyond its technical scope, what would you say your “mission” is?
F: I see myself as a translator of complexity. In modern yachting, composites are the material of freedom, but also of maximum discipline. My role is to turn a pure concept — something that exists in a rendering or in a calculation model — into buildable reality. In practice, it is as if I were writing the DNA of the boat: I produce lamination plans, technical drawings, and shop-floor instructions for the shipyard. If structural analysis provides the skeleton, I take care of the skin and muscle, ensuring that every fiber is placed exactly where it is needed to deliver performance and safety.
Q: You often describe yourself as a “bridge” between theoretical analysis and practical production. How does this role shape the final product?
F: The image of a bridge is powerful because it implies crossing a gap. Very often, there is a linguistic gap between the engineer working at a computer and the laminator in the yard. My added value lies in pragmatic optimization: I bring the reality of resin and fiber into the software environment. I act as a feasibility filter. It is not just coordination; it is a form of experiential engineering. My goal is to ensure that the yard never has to ask, “How are we supposed to build this?”, because the answer is already embedded in the technical solution I have developed beforehand.
Q: What does it mean to you to drive innovation in yacht engineering between Lecce and Trieste in 2026?
F: It is a statement of identity. We have shown that excellence does not need to be tied to traditional industrial districts in order to exist, provided it is supported by a model that combines extreme technical competence with a broad strategic vision. At MICAD, we do not design yacht parts; we design life cycles. Satisfaction does not come from geography, but from the fact that our projects compete successfully and win on merit.
It is a continuous intellectual challenge: proving that the scientific method can take root anywhere, as long as there is the courage to approach a project as a complex organism.
Q: If you had to summarize your professional philosophy in a single sentence, what would it be?
F: That is a difficult one — I could think of many, and you have caught me off guard. But off the top of my head, I would say it reflects my personal motto at work: “to make complexity simple and theory tangible, ensuring that every design decision becomes a promise fulfilled.”
