Italy-UK PARTNERSHIP

PARTNERSHIP | Spring 2019 08 | IN FOCUS H ome to the United Kingdom’s first airfield, Farnborough is a small town situated in Hampshire. The airfield was first used by the Army Balloon Factory in 1904 and is considered by many as the birthplace of British aviation as it witnessed the country’s first powered flight in 1908. Today Farnborough is not only the location of TAG Airport but is a centre of military and civil aviation research. The main reason of its reputation though is the Farnborough International Airshow. The Airshow, a biennial event combining a major trade exhibition with a public air show, is one of the most important appointments in the international aerospace and defence industry calendar.  The origins of the event date back to 1932, when the Society of British Aircraft Constructors organised their first display at Hendon with only 30 aircraft. The event changed locations until it Farnborough, the International Airshow A historic showcase in aerospace innovation settled in Farnborough, opening its doors to the public in 1948. At the time, the Airshow saw 187 companies showcasing and 70 aircraft. Farnborough became then an international fair in 1974 and continued growing over the years with great success.  The 70 th Farnborough Airshow took place in July 2018 and, as always, the outcome of the event was positive: it was announced that, over the week, orders worth $192bn were made. One hundred and fifty six (156) civil and military delegations and more than 1,500 exhibitors from 48 countries were present. The Airshow attracted more than 80,000 trade visitors from 112 countries and 1,800 accredited media. EDITION 2018 The 2018 Farnborough Airshow was the opportunity to show how the collaboration between Italy and UK is growing regarding the defence sector. H.E. Raffaele Trombetta, Italian Ambassador, attended the event together with Elisabetta Trenta, Italian Minister of Defence, and visited the Italian Association for Aerospace, Defence and Security (AIAD) and the Italian Spatial Agency (ASI) pavilions. They also met with a delegation organised by the Italian Trade Agency of 16 Italian start-ups and SMEs, along with the representatives of the following regional districts: Campania, Emilia- Romagna, Lazio, Lombardy, Piedmont, Apulia and Umbria.  Minister Trenta happened to visit the event just after the announcement of a UK-Italian project that will lead to the realisation of a new jet generation. On the occasion, Minister Trenta met with Gavin Williamson, Secretary of Defence for the UK, to sign a Declaration of Intent to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. ·