With a new call for applications for laboratory research contracts and industrial doctoral scholarships just launched, Leonardo will now be able to count on a fresh pool of expertise for studying new technological breakthroughs and frontiers. The 2022 recruitment drive for new Leonardo Labs researchers (a network of research and development incubators), has created an additional 53 positions, providing opportunities for a good 130 researchers compared to the 77 openings created in 2021, a significant increase that confirms the figures are in line with Leonardo’s 2021 to 2023, three-year forecast.

“We are setting the company's future on an increasingly digital basis: from Big Data, to High-Power Computing, to Artificial Intelligence, as well as looking ahead to Quantum Computing and Quantum Communication" has recentely declared Franco Ongaro, Leonardo's Chief Technology & innovation Officer, to 'Il Sole  24 Ore'. "We are seeking to create a link between the group's business areas and this technology push – added Ongaro – and we must have a capability that doesn't just stop at internal growth. You can't be credible if your laboratories don't produce new knowledge that can be compared with the rest of the world. So, you have to publish and be in a position to show that the resources you have are carrying out research. That is why we have made this call for 53 new researchers, who are our lifeblood. They join the 77 that we already have in place, and we want to increase their number to 200 by the end of next year. We intend to reach a critical mass of research capability that will give us credibility in areas where we will face not the usual competition but instead much more famous research institutes. We already know that we will need to have Artificial Intelligence in all our platforms, and we have to figure out how to make it meaningful and, above all, certifiable".

2021-2022 Research Areas

AI, HPC/Cloud, Electrification, Digital Twin & Advanced Simulation, Materials, Quantum, Big Data, Unmanned & Robotics and Optoelectronics are the core fields that the Leonardo Lab network and the industrial research PHD students will be developing over the coming years, with continued investments, particularly in Digital Twin & Advanced Simulation, Big Data, Quantum, Artificial Intelligence, Unmanned & Robotics.

For Alessandro Massa, Head of the Leonardo Labs, "One of the key words that characterises the Leonardo Labs network is 'skills'. We need to broaden the field of research into frontier technologies and to do this we need to strengthen ourselves, look for the best researchers, and network with universities, research centres and other companies. One of the main areas of the Labs relates to digital technologies, i. e. everything related to data management and processing. From this perspective, new skills are needed in those technologies that allow, for example, machines to 'learn' to support prediction capabilities. In order to deal with the technological acceleration that we have experienced in recent years, the paradigm has totally changed and requires the training of a new generation of professionals, a continuous flow of talent and collaboration, and bringing together diverse expertise.”

Universities and research centres as pivotal partners for the development of the technologies of the future 

In close collaboration with Leonardo Labs researchers, the company has also established targeted collaborations with several universities, polytechnics and research centres throughout Italy, financing industrial PHD scholarships for the development of research projects by young doctorates.

In 2021, Leonardo awarded 22 scholarships and plans to award a further 35 scholarships, both in Italy and overseas, in 2022, an increase that confirms the group’s commitment to expanding and strengthening its innovation network by leveraging on research.

Research & Development is a fundamental pillar of Leonardo's strategy that sees the synergic relationship with universities and research centres as an essential tool for driving technological innovation, promoting competitiveness and growth, in line with the Leonardo 2030 strategic plan.

Through the interconnected Leonardo Labs network of universities, polytechnics, research centres and partner companies, as well as numerous open innovation initiatives, Leonardo promotes dialogue between the world of industry and education, fostering technological and digital development, which are also fundamental enablers of sustainability. In this sense, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 9 are among the priority objectives of the company’s Sustainability Plan.