Genenta-backed Sòphia High Tech Brings Aerospace Precision Inside a Nuclear Fusion Reactor with ROMAN, a Robotic Arm

Sòphia High Tech S.r.l. (Sòphia HT), an Italian aerospace and defense company manufacturing critical parts for Europe's space and defense programs, backed by Genenta Science S.p.A. (Nasdaq: GNTA) — evolving into Saentra Forge¹, a strategic industrial consolidator focused on aerospace, defense, biotech and Italian national-security-related technologies — today announced the unveiling of ROMAN , a robotic arm engineered to perform inspection and maintenance operations inside a nuclear fusion machine .

Sòphia HT and its partners Department of Industrial Engineering (DII) and Herobots designed, developed, produced, assembled, tested and integrated the manipulator ROMAN units for two facilities: the DII of the University Federico II and to Consorzio RFX 2 . ROMAN demonstrates Sòphia HT’s ability to engineer systems for environments where humans cannot operate and failure is not an option.

Designed for RFX-mod2, a nuclear fusion research machine in which plasma can reach approximately 20 million °C, ROMAN remotely inspects and maintains the machine’s innermost wall. Its custom-built tool can identify, remove and reinstall individual graphite tiles, as well as perform visual inspection and cleaning operations.

ROMAN is the result of a close collaboration between Sòphia HT, Herobots – a technology partner specialized in robotics and automation for safety-critical applications – the DII and Consorzio RFX. Within the project, Sòphia HT led the development, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and integration of the ROMAN manipulators, working closely with all partners throughout the definition, validation, and refinement of the solution.

The partners worked closely throughout the definition, validation, and refinement of the solution.

The project extends Sòphia HT’s proven precision-engineering capabilities— from critical components for rockets, satellites and defense systems—into nuclear technology and energy infrastructure , while leveraging the robotics expertise for hazardous and challenging environments of the DII and Herobots team.

This provides Sòphia HT with a new strong reference capability for future applications in another highly regulated, mission-critical market and supports Genenta’s strategy of building an industrial platform across sectors central to national technological sovereignty.

“ Delivering with our partners ROMAN took Sòphia HT into the nuclear domain for the first time, and our team met that challenge with the same rigor we apply to space-flight hardware. Developing a manipulator that can operate safely and repeatably inside RFX-mod2 required custom mechanics, a purpose-built end-effector and extensive qualification. It is a proud milestone for our engineers and PhDs, and, together with Genenta, it opens a new avenue of growth for the company,” said Domenico Borrelli, CTO of Sòphia HT.

“ ROMAN is exactly the kind of capability that makes Sòphia HT irreplaceable. The same mastery of precision mechanics that lets this company 3D-print flight-ready space hardware now allows it to manufacture the mechanical systems of advanced robotic platforms operating where no human can go — inside a nuclear fusion machine. It is a powerful demonstration of how deep-tech know-how developed for space and defense translates directly into the technologies that wi...