The event, a creative marathon that involved industry, start-ups and universities in the debate launched by the Italian Air Force, provided the opportunity for sharing and discussing ideas – for the first time with an approach of open innovation, typical of hackathons – on the application of new technologies to logistics, training and maintenance.
“Leonardo is totally committed to support the Armed Forces meet their current and future challenges, and not only providing them with advanced products – explains Umberto Panetta, Leonardo’s Senior Vice President of Customer Support & Services and a member of the jury of the Airathon –. We actively participate in this project also by sharing the know-how of Leonardo employees, some of whom were involved in coaching and mentoring activities. We want to highlight our experience in the field of innovative technologies – which are already part of Leonardo’s offer, also in training and in logistics –, and we aim to learn what’s happening in the start-ups and in the Universities.”
In order to reach the challenging targets detailed in its Industrial Plan, Leonardo has recently modified its organisational structure, creating a central function of Customer Support & Services, with the aim of working better together with its customers and – through a network of offices and logistic hubs – it aims to become a “Full Service Provider” at an international level. Leonardo is already providing its customers with cutting-edge solutions in the training and logistics fields, through the integration of augmented reality and mixed reality. One example is the LVC (Live, Virtual and Constructive Simulation) technology, which features the highly advanced simulation system of Leonardo’s M-346 trainer aircraft, which allows – among other things – the students on the ground to interact with the pilots flying, within the same training mission.
Panetta adds: “The partnership with the Italian Air Force is fundamental for us to understand the new requirements and jointly develop innovative and increasingly effective solutions. Thanks to the technology we own and especially to the know-how acquired during these years of activity – for instance in the flight training sector, – we are already working on the logistics activities to reduce the workforce required and for the personnel training to be increasingly fast and effective, so that resources are not diverted from operational roles” concluded Umberto Panetta.
To recall the transformations characterising Leonardo in the last few years – turned into a “one company” through a complex integration process –, the company gave a “special mention” to Team Tango, that has stood out from the rest for operating with a creative, but homogeneous approach to leveraging on the different components, maximizing the disruptive result of the identified solution.
