44 · MT 5/2022 Nations in Focus account for 33% of its €5.2 billion turnover (or 25% if we consider the whole Fincantieri Group). Over the years, key decisions such as expansion in the US and diversification into the offshore sector through the acquisition of Vard have helped to strengthen the product portfolio and grow the customer base. Growth was subsequently supported by several selected acquisitions (for example Cetena, Isotta Fraschini, NexTech, or IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi), as well as by joint ventures with leading operators in the sector (e.g. Etihad Ship Building, Naviris), which gave access to new geographical areas. Acquisitions in Italy had also the aim of safeguarding specific national skills, that are today fully integrated into the group. Today, Fincantieri possesses 18 shipyards in four continents (Europe, Asia, Americas, Oceania). Eight of them are in Italy (Trieste, Monfalcone, Marghera, Sestri Ponente, Genova, Riva Trigoso– Muggiano, Ancona, Castellammare di Stabia, Palermo) and employ 51% of the group’s workforce of 20,750. Moreover, the presence of Fincantieri feeds over 7,000 Italian suppliers. In 2021, the group spent €155 million in R&D, feeding 146 research projects. Like Leonardo, Fincantieri is an export-oriented company, with more than 87% of revenues generated by sales to foreign customers. In Italy, Fincantieri’s military hub includes the design centre in Genoa and the production facilities of the integrated shipyard at Riva Trigoso-Muggiano. Cooperation between Fincantieri and date, more than 800 UAVs have been delivered to 27 countries. Space activities represent another high-value asset. Leonardo has manufactured the world’s most powerful hyper spectral instrument on board the Italian Space Agency’s PRISMA satellite. Through Telespazio and e-Geos it also manages over 2,000,000 radar images acquired by the COSMO-SkyMed constellation developed by ASI in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Defence. The company is today prepositioning itself to seize the largest possible share of the rapidly growing market estimated in the 2021-2030 period for the space sector. Through the Be Tomorrow - Leonardo 2030 strategic plan, the company intends to accelerate the process of innovation and increase long-term competitiveness in view of harsh global competition amongst leading defence industry groups. The strategy is based on three pillars (strengthen the core; transform to grow; and master the new) and aims at consolidating the company’s leading position in key sectors such as helicopters, naval systems, cyber security, etc. at the global level. To do so, Leonardo wants to become the main contractor in its domestic markets, especially in Italy, and serve as the point of reference (and somehow coordinator) for SMEs (Leonardo relies on 11,000 suppliers worldwide, 4,000 of which are in Italy). With the establishment of ten Leonardo LABs, the innovation model is changing as well. LABs work on technologies that will have transversal applications to all divisions. Leonardo established eight key areas of technological research, namely Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, cloud computing, electrification, new materials, robotics and autonomous systems, and digital twins/advanced simulation. Fincantieri and Maritime Ambitions Fincantieri is the 6th largest shipbuilding company in the world, with the first five being South Korean and Japanese shipyards. Defence revenues Iveco is known worldwide for its excellent trucks and tactical vehicles. Here the range of trucks chosen by the German Army. (Photo: Iveco) A CENTAURO II, the so-called “wheeled tank” Jointly Produced by Iveco and Leonardo. (Photo: Marco Giulio Barone) A panoply of handguns at the Beretta booth during a Defence exhibition. Firearms are another field of excellence for Italian industry. (Photo: Marco Giulio Barone) f h
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