Italy-UK PARTNERSHIP

PARTNERSHIP | Spring 2019 20 Leonardo celebrates its 75th Anniversary in Edinburgh From a WWII manufacturing site to an inspiring centre for future aerospace engineering I n 2018, the Edinburgh-based site of defence and security multinational Leonardo marked its 75 th year of production, having first opened in 1943 to produce urgently needed gyro gunsights for the Royal Air Force’s Spitfires. A now-declassified secret memo from the end of World War II described the gunsights as “the single most important equipment” introduced during the war. Today, Leonardo in Edinburgh carries on that proud tradition of supporting the UK Armed Forces with the latest technology, while also contributing to the wider prosperity of the Country by exporting its world-class radars, lasers and aircraft protection systems all over the world.  Today’s Leonardo has grown from its origins in Italy, where the Company was founded as Finmeccanica, to be an international enterprise with major design, production and support hubs around the world. Edinburgh is one of the Company’s six main British sites, which together generate roughly £2bn in annual revenue, and is the home of the Company’s electronically-scanning (“E-scan”) radar and high-energy laser businesses, as well providing laser- based countermeasures for aircraft protection. The Company’s cutting- edge radar products are coveted internationally and its E-scan surveillance models, such as the well-known Seaspray and Osprey variants, have been exported to 30 countries. Meanwhile, through a tremendously successful laser business, the Company meets 75% of the global demand for high-energy military lasers from Edinburgh alone.  It is clear however that Leonardo in Edinburgh is not resting on its laurels. At the forefront of technology research and development, the site is also leading the Eurofighter Typhoon’s new Captor-E radar project and playing a major role in Leonardo’s contribution to Team Tempest, the UK’s future combat air programme. It is a commitment to skills, innovation and capability that will generate valuable intellectual property in the UK for years to come. AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN EDINBURGH In the UK, Leonardo supports around 25,000 jobs in a UK supply chain of 1,600 companies, many of them SMEs. Its Edinburgh site is a major local employer with around 1,800 staff, 50% with 21 or more years of service. In 2018 alone, Leonardo in Edinburgh hired 31 apprentices and 50 graduates and provided more than 50 undergraduate summer placements, as well as a significant schools work experience programme. It is fitting that Leonardo has received the Gold Standard Investor in People award, the first in the defence sector, and recently broke new ground by clinching the first Gold Standard Investor in Young People award to be received by any company in the defence and wider aerospace sector.  Leonardo employees, taking on roles as ‘STEM ambassadors’ enthusiastically support an array of Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths (STEM) engagement programmes to empower young people, including annual Rampaging Chariot Robotic Games, International Women in Engineering Days and extensive mentoring in local schools.  Leonardo in Edinburgh works closely with Scottish and UK bodies, such as the Scottish Government’s STEM Strategy, Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board and Skills Development Scotland. Several projects are also in place with the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board (SAAB), Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise and Education Scotland. With such a vibrant STEM programme, the Company collaborates with many universities, colleges, trade and professional bodies, all elements that underline the key role Leonardo plays in Scotland. · Photography courtesy of Leonardo