With the rise of the East Asian countries, Italian shipbuilding industry steered its rudder to a more specialized production of complex ship types, in particular cruise ships. Italian shipbuilders have responded with agility to various economic challenges which affected the shipbuilding industry and continued to expand their activities. Italy, one of the world’s leading producers of cruise and passenger ships, built 36% for cruise ships in the world between 2013 and 2022. With a strong supply chain involving local enterprises, the Italian shipbuilding industry has maintained an advanced position in shipbuilding technology, enabling it to support the domestic economy and employment.