• The 12-month online programme covers submarine cable projects from approval and design to repair and monitoring
  • The course could give employers a more structured way to train staff across technical, legal and commercial roles

The fact

Sparkle, the international services arm of Italian telecoms group TIM, has joined the University of Genoa and the SubOptic Foundation to launch a postgraduate programme in digital subsea infrastructure. The partners describe it as the first postgraduate course dedicated specifically to submarine digital networks. The programme is coordinated by the university’s Department of Naval, Electrical, Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering and includes academic cooperation with the University of California, Berkeley.

The one-year course will run online in English from October 2026 to September 2027 and award 60 European academic credits. It covers the authorisation, design, construction, maintenance, repair and monitoring of subsea infrastructure, together with environmental, engineering, economic, legal and geopolitical requirements. It is aimed at postgraduate degree holders and professionals working in technical, scientific, economic, legal or related fields.

The assessment

The programme moves some introductory training from employers into a university course. Subsea cable companies and public bodies recruit engineers, lawyers, economists and regulatory specialists through different professional routes, then need those staff to understand how their responsibilities connect within one project. A shared curriculum gives candidates that cross-disciplinary foundation before they enter a cable team or receive a project assignment.

It does not replace practical training. Employers would still need to teach company procedures, current technology and the responsibilities attached to a live cable project. The qualification’s value will depend on whether operators, suppliers, regulators and consultants contribute current case material, recognise it during recruitment and place graduates in relevant roles.

For BTW readers, the course will matter only if employers recognise it as a credible route into subsea work. That means using it in recruitment and onboarding, and expecting graduates to arrive with a basic understanding of how technical, legal and commercial roles fit together. Until companies begin hiring from the programme, it remains a new qualification rather than evidence that the sector’s skills needs are being met

What to watch

Watch the size and professional mix of the first cohort, the extent of employer involvement in teaching and project work, and where graduates are hired. Continued participation from cable operators, suppliers, regulators and marine contractors would indicate whether the programme is becoming part of the sector’s recruitment and training pipeline.