In 2018, Leonardo launched the LEAP (Leonardo Empowering Advanced Partnership) supplier development and growth programme to support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in the AD&S supply chain, helping them become stronger, more capable of investing and collaborating on higher value-added initiatives, and more competitive internationally.

The company has also established a dedicated Supplier Development and Engagement Programme designed to go beyond purely commercial objectives such as cost containment, and to build strong industrial collaborations and medium- to long-term partnerships capable of:

• encouraging investment
• fostering the qualitative and dimensional growth of outstanding businesses in the supply chain
• creating a more resilient ecosystem that can cope with the increasing complexity of the market

To achieve these goals, Leonardo has adopted a new supplier evaluation model that, in addition to assessing operational performance (punctuality, quality, pricing) and technical skills, also integrates the key themes of sustainability, digitalisation and innovation.

Alongside this evaluation model, the company has introduced a ‘toolkit’ of resources to support supplier growth, focusing on: training programmes for developing managerial and technical expertise; supply chain financing tools to support growth; and the creation of a support network for digitalisation and innovation.