• At Campi Bisenzio, Florence, the Managing Director and CEO of Finmeccanica, Mauro Moretti, welcomes the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, and Minister of Defence, Roberta Pinotti
• Present at the ceremony were the Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Navy, the President of the Region of Tuscany, the Mayor of Florence, the Mayor of Campi Bisenzio, and the Archbishop of Florence
• The road in front of the factory is re-named Officine Galileo

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Finmeccanica, Mauro Moretti, welcomed the Italian President, Matteo Renzi, and the Minister of Defence, Roberta Pinotti, this afternoon to celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Officine Galileo, Finmeccanica – Selex ES’s facility in Campi Bisenzio, Florence.

The ceremony was also attended by the Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Navy, Admiral Joseph De Giorgi, and General Claudio Graziano; the President of the Tuscany region, Enrico Rossi; the Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella; the Mayor of Campi Bisenzio, Emiliano Fossi; and the Archbishop of Florence, SE Card. Joseph Betori.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also presided over the naming ceremony of the road in front of the factory, which has been renamed ‘Officine Galileo’ in recognition of the historic production facility’s technology and people.

Established in 1864, Officine Galileo merged with the SMA in Florence and other Italian companies in 2000, to become Galileo Avionica. In 2010, it became SELEX Galileo following a further merger with SELEX SAS. In 2013, SELEX Galileo joined other Finmeccanica group companies to become Finmeccanica – Selex ES, a leader in high tech sensors and electronic systems for defence and security.

The 150th anniversary celebrations were also an opportunity for employees and their families from Tuscany to visit the factory and a get a close-up look at the cutting-edge technologies and products that have generated so much prestige for Italian industry in many areas. Among them, the sensors on board the international space missions Rosetta and SENTINEL, electro-optical systems and equipment used by the armed forces, and the Italian technology for secure communications TETRA used by the police for the management of large events, such as the Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 Russia, the election of Pope Francesco in Rome, and the World Cycling Championships in Florence in 2013. TETRA will also be used during Milan Expo 2015.

As evidence of its commitment to the industrial heritage of the company, a photo exhibition entitled ‘A look beyond’, was set up in the factory’s yard featuring a collection of photographic highlights of products, processes and people over the past 150 years. The site at Campi Bisenzio also houses Finmeccanica – Selex ES’s ‘Museum of Technology’, which showcases unique examples of historic Officine Galileo products including cameras, telescope mirrors and precision measuring instruments.

Campi Bisenzio is now a Finmeccanica – Selex ES centre of excellence focused on the design and manufacture of electro-optical systems for terrestrial and space-seekers, radars, sonar systems, and secure communications equipment.

The site covers an area of ​​54,000 square metres and employs around 800 employees. In Tuscany, Finmeccanica – Selex ES employs a total of 1,400 people. The company’s core activities in the region include Homeland Security, Smart Solutions, ICT & Networking, seekers, naval radars and avionics equipment.