SNAME Blog

Matteo Bucchini is a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer with 10 years of experience, specializing in marine structures. He describes himself as an enthusiast, team-player, analytic-thinker, problem solver, and proactive. 

Matteo is currently employed with BLOM Maritime, covering a project leading position for EGCS and BWTS design and installation projects. Prior to that, he worked at Navim Group, Fincantieri, and ABS.  

Matteo is a SNAME Member, a current member of the SNAME Technical and Research Program HS-3 and HS-4 panels, and a member of both ATENA and RINA. He holds a master's degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Trieste, and a postgraduate master's degree in "FEM Analysis and CAE Simulations" from the National Distance Education University of Madrid. Matteo has also completed an "Erasmus Exchange Program" at the Technical University of Cartagena, and the Upskilling Programme “Advanced Skills in Safety, Environment and Security at Sea - ASSESS” at the University of Trieste. 

Matteo is also member of the “Toastmasters Kraków Public Speaking Club”, part of Toastmasters International, where they practice communication and leadership skills on a weekly basis.  

He has previously lived in Italy, Spain, and the USA. He has lived in Poland since 2019, where he got married two years ago, and is awaiting the arrival of a little daughter. He speaks Italian, but also English, Spanish and Polish, and is planning to learn Croatian. Then he could consider himself satisfied. 

 

Questions:  

1. At what point in your career did you join SNAME? 

I joined SNAME back in 2013, while I had an internship at ABS in Houston. I suppose most of you know Thalia Kruger, we met during a meeting to integrate all interns with the seniors. After that, she invited me and my buddy Mauro Perusino out for lunch, explaining everything about SNAME, and in no time we participated in the SMC 2013 Student Steering Committee. That’s how it all started. Since then, I have attended five SMCs, and I have been a member of the HS-3 panel since 2016. 

 

2. How has SNAME membership been of value to you in your career? 

I’ve never had the chance to participate in an active SNAME section, due to my location. Therefore, SNAME started to give value to my professional life the moment I joined the HS-3 panel, where I found invaluable mentorship and expertise. All the seniors on the panel have been mentors to me, especially Dr. Yang and Dr. Basu. Since then, we have published three papers together, and soon the “Guidelines For Structural Finite Element Analysis Of Marine Structures”. 

 

3. When did you know you wanted to pursue a job in the maritime field? 

Small background story: I got this question as an engineer at my first SMC in Houston, back in 2016. Past-President Suzanne Beckstoffer came to me and my buddy Raffaele Frontera, and asked “When did you realize you wanted to become a Naval Architect?”  I had that clear in my mind, but nobody had asked me that question since I started at the University of Trieste with my Bachelor in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in 2007. I was surprised, excited, and honored to be asked such a question from a SNAME leader. 

 

It's all connected with my childhood. On one side, I was born in Monfalcone, the northeast point of the Adriatic Sea, where the biggest shipyard of Fincantieri is located. On the other side, my grandfather was born in Osor, on an island now belonging to Croatia, but back then it was a part of Italy. There, twice a day every day, a small bridge opens at 9:00 and at 17:00, stopping the traffic and letting through sailing boats, fishing boats, and yachts. In summer the locals, tourists on vacations and people waiting, sit on both sides of the channel, and admire this runway, the boats and clapping to the crews. It is something magical!  In both places, you can breathe salty air from the water and naval architecture through your lungs. That’s why I’ve become a naval architect. 

 

4. What advice would you give to those entering the maritime field? 

It’s an interesting time to join the industry, with new trends and goals, and still a lot of unknowns regarding how to reach those. In my opinion, what's important is to stay up-to-date, curious, and never feel like you are fully accomplished. Being involved in SNAME is a good way to do that. 

 

5. What do you do in your spare time? 

I love basketball, manga, planning future trips, and cooking. I’m also a social animal, so I’m trying to be always up to date with all the events happening in Cracow, it’s such an active city that you can easily find social, artistic, or sportive events happening every day. 

 

6. What is your favorite book, movie or tv series? 

There are too many, so I’ll go for the last one per each:  

Book: “Dad, make yourself heard! How to free your emotions to become better parents” by Stefania Andreoli 

Movie: “Soul” by Pixar 

TV series: “Lupin” on Netflix 

 

7. What is a fun fact about yourself? 

Together with my wife Karolina, we applied to a cooking TV show called “Ugotowani”, which means “cooked”. Sooner or later, you’ll see us on TV!