As the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) continued, and following the launch of our Carbon Reduction Plan in the previous month, we announced further positive steps in sustainability as the AW149 helicopter took to the sky using a blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in November. The test flight demonstrated Leonardo’s commitment to reducing the impact aviation has on global carbon emissions, with use of SAF resulting in a reduction of lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% when compared to traditional jet fuel.
Throughout the month, we shared short clips of the AW149 on our social media channels which featured Chief Test Pilot, Mark Burnand, explaining about the aircraft’s features that we think make it the ideal solution for the UK government’s New Medium Helicopter requirement, as was outlined in the full video published on YouTube.
The Women in Defence UK Awards 2021 culminated in an awards dinner in November, with four finalists from Leonardo in attendance, across three categories. On the night, Leonardo STEM ambassador and Senior Hardware Engineer Sarah Cooper was named winner of the STEM in Defence Award. During her acceptance speech, Sarah spoke about the importance of inspiring women to get into STEM, adding, “It wasn't until I went to University and people asked me how it felt to be a girl in engineering that I realised it was unusual; that encouraged me to get into STEM. The more different types of brains we have, the better!”
Later in the month, the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) Annual Conference got underway, being livestreamed from locations across the UK. We hosted the conference at our helicopter centre of excellence in Yeovil on its second day, with CBI Director-General, Tony Danker, joining expert speakers to discuss breakthrough ideas and technologies against the backdrop of the AW149. Echoing the words of Mr Danker, we thanked our “wonderful apprentices and graduates” for helping make the panel session a success.
Also in November, we provided technical expertise for competitors at the WorldSkills UK National Finals, the culmination of a year-long competition organised by the charity WorldSkills in partnership with the Royal Aeronautical Society. The finals took place over three days at the HMS Sultan training base in Gosport, with a team of Leonardo STEM ambassadors forming part of the judging panel, having designed the initial qualifying questionnaire and provided the associated mark scheme in earlier stages of the contest.
There was further STEM outreach activity in the month, with the Cool Aeronautics initiative returning in a virtual form once again. A team of Leonardo STEM ambassadors, with the help of the Royal Aeronautical Society, spent a day teaching students online, and helping them become environmentally-aware aerospace engineers, creating a solution to escape a desert island scenario using recyclable materials. Young engineers from Ilchester Community Primary School won the top prize on the day, which was attended by over 700 students from schools local to our Yeovil site.
During ‘Movember’, Leonardo’s Gender Equality Network, Equalise, highlighted the importance of an open and welcoming workplace that encourages honest discussion on mental health and wellbeing. On International Men’s Day (IMD), which took place in the month, we shared an article about taking time to listen, following a webinar on the topic for colleagues led by Senior Learning and Development Business Partner, Graeme Stewart. Graeme spoke about the importance of communicating and listening attentively to one another, and how this can help us connect with others more effectively and improve our relationships.
As part of our further Movember activities, Equalise hosted a panel discussion on the importance of work/life balance, with Leonardo UK CEO, Norman Bone, amongst the guest speakers. Following the session, Norman shared his thoughts on the challenges of maintaining the balance of life outside of work with the demands of the business in a LinkedIn article.