The Group

The knowledge economy age requires the capacity to generate, safeguard and manage innovation which represents one of the main competitive factors as well as the foundation for long-lasting success. The Finmeccanica Group considers the coherent, strict and farsighted governance of innovation as a fundamental asset for its growth and sustainability.

Innovation as a constant value for Finmeccanica has been an integral part of its history and evolution. It is the key to its success and has allowed the Group to assume a leadership role in technology at the worldwide level.

Innovation permeates the entire business system in addition to being fostered by organisational structures, processes and support systems. It is also stimulated by individual capabilities, by continuous valorisation and training of personnel. It has become our work culture and environment.

The innovative ideas that spring forth constitute precious shared assets that are applied in industrial areas and products and services created and aimed at increasing competitiveness and the capability of meeting customer needs.

The Group Strategies describe the lines of action with which to carry out our mission with the aim of increasing our competitiveness, looking towards the future and meeting current and potential customers’ needs through new products and services.

Innovation is not only a driving force that comes from within the Group companies but also involves customers, partners, academies and research centres in order to effectively manage the value chain.

Consequently, highly aware of the strategic, economic and social weight of this means of achieving growth, Finmeccanica allocates significant resources and investments, ranging from the number of specialised personnel involved in R&D activities, annual investment (equal to 2.030 billion EUR, up 2,4% from 2009) to active working relationships with Italian and foreign research institutes and universities.

Thanks to these figures, Finmeccanica today is the main Italian investor in the technology sector and ranks third worldwide among companies in the sector.

Thus, Group innovation governance like the development of the related culture is organised through a series of activities created to stimulate innovative processes and safeguard and valorise the subsequent Group intellectual assets such as the following:

• Innovation and R&D Strategy Plans
• Intellectual Capital and IPR governance
• MindSh@re
• The Innovation Award