Leonardo has announced the winners of the first challenges promoted on Solvers Wanted, the innovation scouting platform. Thus Leonardo expands its ecosystem for encouraging research and innovation processes with Open Innovation initiatives, involving the academic world and start-ups, enlarging the network of organisations sharing the same vision.

Leonardo set the challenges, starting with “Technology and Innovation Needs”, tied to the “map of requirements” the company has singled out, including the development of a solution able to monitor an aircraft pilot’s psychophysical condition, and the identification of sophisticated techniques in the fields of quantum imaging and quantum computing. 

Leonardo selected three of the many projects received for these first challenges: 

• “POLIMonitor”, carried out by the Politecnico di Milano all-women team of: Prof. Mara Tanelli; Valentina Breschi, PhD; Jessica Leoni, PhD; and Eugenia Villa, PhD 
• “Soluzioni di Quantum Imaging for sistemi a Radio Frequenza (Quantum Imaging Solutions for Radio Frequency Systems)”, carried out by the CNIT-RaSS team made up of: Prof. Marco Martorella; Alberto Lupidi, PhD; Fabrizio Cuccoli, PhD 
• “Noisy quantum algorithms”, carried out by the University of Trieste team composed of: Prof. Angelo Bassi; Sandro Donadi, PhD; Michele Vischi, PhD; Giovanni Di Bartolomeo, PhD; Francesco Cesa, PhD.

The winners were awarded a contract of collaboration with Leonardo to implement their respective solutions, and they will have the chance to join the Leonardo Team for Innovation network, adding the network brand to their logos.

“Collaboration with research centres, universities and start-ups is an accelerator driving innovation and the company’s competitiveness”, emphasised Franco Ongaro, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer of Leonardo. “Solvers Wanted is a further tool supporting Leonardo’s open innovation strategy to fuel the innovation supply chain in Italy”. 

To encourage the growth of Leonardo’s innovation ecosystem, new and increasingly daring challenges will soon be opened with the chance to participate in them. To stay up to date, visit the Solvers Wanted page!