Leonardo, here’s how Mbda Italia sprints
Numbers and prospects of Mbda Italia, controlled by Airbus, Bae Systems and Leonardo. Pietro Romano's article
“2021 is ending in the best possible way for the entire Mbda group and for Mbda Italy. The numbers are not yet authorized to disclose them but it was the year of collaboration and deliveries and these deliveries are also positively reflected on our accounts and consequently on the workforce ". In the traditional end-of-year greeting, an informal meeting, shares optimism by Lorenzo Mariani, Mbda executive group director sales & business development and – for Mbda Italy – managing director, essentially the number one in our country.
WHAT IS MBDA
Mbda is the only European group capable of designing and manufacturing missiles and missile systems to meet the most varied operational needs, present and future, for the armed forces. It is a consortium controlled with equal corporate governance rules by Airbus and Bae Systems (which each hold 37.5%) and by Leonardo, with 25%. Despite the global pandemic, revenues in 2020 totaled around 3.6 billion euros (3.7 in 2019) with a total increase in employment of around 1,100 units. Orders acquired totaled 3.3 billion and reached 16.6 billion.
MBDA IN ITALY
In Italy Mbda has three sites (Rome, La Spezia and Fusaro, in Campania), which constitute a unicum in the national industrial and technological heritage, an economic and sovereign center. “On these three sites – explains Mariani – in 2021 we took important decisions. Consistent with the consortium's policy, we have planned the purchase. In Rome, we reached an agreement with the current owner in order to leave the rental regime to pass to that of control. We did the same with Leonardo, owner of the La Spezia plant, a plant that is growing a lot and that we will have to enlarge and optimize immediately after the acquisition is formalized ".
In 2018 Mbda Italia had already taken full ownership control of the Fusaro site, near Naples, an international center of excellence for the production of cutting-edge radiofrequency sensors, the so-called seekers and among the few in the world to work in missiles. on 3D technologies. “A plant that – Mariani found – has proved to be excellent in deliveries”. Unfortunately, the health emergency has blocked the modernization works of the Fusaro, which are destined to finish in about a year.
The overall improvement also affected employment. "We have almost 1600 employees – Mariani underlined – to which at least another 100 units should be added in 2022. This is not an ambition, but a necessity for all the programs we have to carry out and all the things we have to do".
Numbers in line with the continuous growth achieved in the first twenty years of the consortium's life (born in 2001): in its Italian component the direct staff has more than doubled, providing enormous benefits also in the related industries, which in this sector includes two employees for each direct employee.
A success achieved despite the continuous stop-and-go in defense investments that penalize the industry not only directly but also in the potential on international markets. And despite – it should be emphasized – the lack of understanding for the Italian role in missiles even in industry: a few years ago at the head of Leonardo there was even a managing director, Mauro Moretti , who had hypothesized the sale.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/leonardo-ecco-come-sprinta-mbda-italia/ on Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:51:48 +0000.