Leonardo supports innovation for the safety of critical infrastructures

• Choosing a start-up and an innovative project in a sector of interest and an integral part of Leonardo's business
• A multiaxial stress sensor project awarded within the TR35 event organised by MIT Technology Review Italia with the Bologna Business School; a second award assigned to the start-up Kuaternion, thanks to the development of software for interpreting satellite images
• The dissemination of a culture of innovation and a commitment to the promotion of the STEM disciplines confirms Leonardo's priorities
• The project and the start-up awarded by Leonardo both concern secure and critical infrastructures, a sector of great interest for the Company and an integral part of its business

The dissemination of a culture of innovation and a commitment to the promotion of the STEM disciplines are at the heart of Leonardo's collaboration with MIT Technology Review Italia in the TR35, an event dedicated to the development of young talent and the growth of emerging technologies and their impact on everyday life. The TR35, an event promoted by the prestigious magazine and the Bologna Business School, was held in Bologna and was attended by young people under the age of 35. Leonardo has also awarded an innovative start-up research grant for participation in the Research & Entrepreneurship Foundation programme. Through these initiatives, the Company is supporting  the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the UN in the 2030 Agenda.
 

During the TR35 event Leonardo's award was given to Mohammad Abbasi Gavart, a mechanical engineer who graduated from the Milan Polytechnic, for a project related to a multi-axis stress sensor for monitoring the state of the structures. Critical infrastructures and civil structures, such as residential property, schools and public buildings, are subject to aging and deterioration so a long-term diagnosis is necessary to ensure their integrity, by monitoring their health over time to identify any damage. The technology, based on a multi-axis stress sensor, can be used for the analysis of the operation, maintenance and repair of the structures into which it is integrated. Leonardo's interest in the project is motivated both by the potential for employment in the monitoring of critical infrastructures, whose safety is part of the company's business activities, and by possible future applications for the structural sensing of their systems and platforms.
 

Leonardo, has also made an award to an innovative start-up active in the field of high precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning,  Kuaternion, created within the La Sapienza University of Rome. Through the development of software for interpreting satellite images, as well as integrated monitoring systems for the measurement and analysis of the movement of buildings and infrastructures over time, the system is useful for the monitoring of critical structures and the ground, with possible uses during emergencies and natural disasters. 
 

The focus on innovation and emerging technologies is a priority for Leonardo that nurtures it through continuous collaboration, both within the company and outside, with universities, research centers, SMEs, start-ups and customers, for its own strategy of Open Innovation. In 2017, Leonardo invests 13% of its revenues in research and development, involving around 10,000 people in this activity, comprising  engineers and departments dedicated to innovation. The Company promotes the Leonardo Innovation Award every year, an initiative created to explore the new frontiers of technology and to foster debate on the value of innovation as a driver of economic and cultural growth.