May began with the launch of a new programme in partnership with Future Leaders, a social mobility partner committed to supporting career pathways for young people.
Future Leaders support young women who aspire to have careers in STEM, providing them with valuable opportunities for growth and development. The programme was launched at our London office and over the year saw the students attend a further five days of learning and development between May-October with engineers and STEM ambassadors at our Luton site.
Leonardo’s commitment to investing in the future and developing the communities in which we have a presence continued as we announced our partnership with Social Value Portal. This collaboration aims to improve the measurement and management of the company's positive impact on communities, the economy and the environment.
The theme continued with Leonardo becoming a Platinum Bridge Partner with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity. This partnership allows us to further support our former and current military personnel and their families, recognising their invaluable contributions. We also hosted our second annual charity football tournament, raising £6,455 for the British Red Cross. 15 teams from across the defence industry and Armed Forces competed at Lincoln City FC’s LNER Community Stadium.
In addition to supporting our external stakeholders, Mental Health Awareness week offered us an opportunity to highlight the importance of wellbeing for colleagues, family and Friends. We sat down with Gareth Hetheridge, Leonardo’s UK Director Digital Solutions and Chair of our Wellbeing network group, who explained the role of physical activity in maintaining mental health. As a military veteran, Gareth highlighted the benefits of regular exercise, whether it's team sports, individual activities or simply staying active. Leonardo's commitment to employee wellbeing is reflected our Wellbeing network group and the company's recognition as a Gold Level Investor in People.
Our investment in the future is not limited to our people. The month also saw our AW101 helicopter achieve a significant milestone with full certification for increased take-off power. This enhancement, approved by the Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness (DAAA) of the Italian Secretariat General of Defence/National Armaments Directorate, bolstered the platform's capabilities, offering greater payload capacity, range, and operational flexibility.
During May, we took a deep dive into Leonardo's Future Programmes Group. Established in 2022, the group focuses on developing cutting-edge rotorcraft technologies and exploring the potential of uncrewed systems. We took a deeper dive into the team and its vision going forward, and how it is responding to – and informing – the future requirements of military helicopters.
In the realm of cybersecurity, we explored the growing prevalence and associated complexities of data sharing and AI assurance. Leonardo UK Head of Capability Development - Data & Digital, Kim Seward, provided insights into the challenges of sharing data across classified boundaries. Additionally, Katie Hawkins, Principal Consultant with Leonardo’s UK Cyber & Security business, highlighted the importance of ensuring the security and reliability of AI systems.
Ensuring the company is ideally placed to deliver future capability was a subject at the heart of a piece on The Power of Teamwork, which highlighted the importance of collaboration in the defence sector. The article spoke to the value of the company's involvement in cross-sector teaming agreements, reflected in partnerships such as the Global Combat Air Programme, Eurofighter, Team Pellonia, Team Minerva, Team Endure, Team Protect, and the Complex Weapons Innovation & Technology Partnership.
The piece coincided with our attendance at AOC Europe 2024, where we launched our latest product from Leonardo Canada, SkyTender. This is a new operational planning software product that addresses the urgent need for effective counter-uncrewed air system (C-UAS) solutions in congested RF environments.
May ended with news that Leonardo secured new contracts to supply and support its LINAPS artillery pointing system for the UK and Italian Armed Forces. This advanced system, designed and manufactured in Edinburgh, enhances the precision and accuracy of artillery fire.