Shipboard plants have high demanding performance and operational requirements. So, in the past, only a limited number of suppliers could offer suitable solutions, with subsequent high acquisition and operational costs. Recent technological progress in electrotechnical field has made available a wider offer of systems and equipment in favour also of COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) acquisition strategy so that to obtain an optimal compromise between military requirements compliance and present budget restrictions for naval programmes. 

Since 2000, all shipboard platform system areas have been interested by an intensive innovation process. There are three key driving factors for electrical system innovation onboard Italian Navy ships:

• Energy efficiency and environmental concern.
• Weight and volume reductions for space optimization.
• Higher equipment maintainability, reliability and availability.

In the paper it will be described the context in which this process has verified, characterized by an intensive electrification of systems and equipments previously actuated by other forms of energy than electricity, such as hydraulic and pneumatic sources, and by introduction of high power weapons, with an expected global increase of electrical energy absorptions. 

Moreover the recent development of new manufacturing techniques and new electric materials and devices has allowed significant technological progress concerning either construction characteristics or functional performances of equipments and systems in use for shipboard applications, such as higher resistance to stringent and aggressive ambient conditions, better thermal requirements, explosion proof resistance, higher short circuit withstand capability, reduction of dimensions and weight.

So, it will be explained how interesting and peculiar technologies have been introduced for shipboard applications either as dedicated solutions to specific problematic, developed within Military Research Programmes, or as derivation from cut-the-edge commercial well proven innovations.