Leonardo received the award due to the ingenuity of its infrared countermeasure technology (IRCM) that diverts heat-seeking missiles by ‘dazzling’ the threat’s infrared guidance system with a powerful laser, throwing it off course.
Robert Aldridge, The Rt. Hon. Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, visited Leonardo’s site in Crewe Toll to formally present the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation, which represents the highest honour a monarch can present to a business in the UK.
Rt. Hon. Lord Provost said: “For Leonardo staff, this occasion affords you all with the opportunity to not only feel extremely proud of the technology your company produces, but also from the point of view that this was recognised by our late head of state who is respected around the world. The award is a clear recognition and reflection of the value, efforts and talents of the staff working at Leonardo, which has had a presence here in Edinburgh for around eight decades.”
Over the years, generations of Leonardo employees have received first hand testimonies from crews reunited safely with their families due to the protective performance of the technology.
The Lord Provost went on to describe the reassurance the technology provides in challenging times, saying: “Your work to repackage advanced electro-optical and laser technology previously available for large aircraft into a compact design, means it can be carried on smaller aircraft, enabling a broader protection to reach across all platforms. The innovative infrared countermeasures technology, which has been developed and manufactured here at the Leonardo site in Edinburgh, brings great pride to the city and adds to our long held engagement with our armed forces. I am sure there will be many military personnel who will have benefitted from your technological brilliance and all of your work will offer much comfort to their families and loved ones. Please keep up your outstanding work, which is so vital to the security of our nation and the armed forces. “
On behalf of Leonardo, Mark Stead, SVP, Radar and Advanced Targeting, accepted a crystal vase from the Lord Provost as the trophy for the award. Mark described the great significance of Leonardo receiving an award for technology that protects military service people, due to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s long-standing admiration and affection for her armed forces throughout her life.
“It is especially poignant to receive this award, given that it will be the last of the Queen’s Awards in our lifetime, and also the relevance of the Queen’s absolute dedication to our armed forces. Her Majesty’s unending dedication to service forms part of the inspiration for what we do here, and of course how we innovate across Leonardo for our operational users. It certainly echoes Leonardo’s philosophy in terms of our dedication to supporting those in harm’s way, and this is a very special moment for us here in Edinburgh, and is something we are all very proud of,” said Mark.
“Most of all, this is for our people; our teams continue to work tirelessly with those end-users in mind, and are regularly achieving technology leaps in the fields of airborne radar, lasers and countermeasures that remain world-beating and a ‘crown-jewel’ of UK industry. That takes expertise, creativity and resilience, and it is the brilliance of our people that gives us our edge.”
Leonardo has previously won Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for Innovation in 2011 and for International Trade in 2010.