Communications

Rome, 20 March 2008
 
Re-discover and revalue one's origins in order to become stronger in the future.

In brief, this is the meaning Finmeccanica is giving to its sixtieth anniversary. Starting in March 2008, the entire Group has the opportunity to look back in order to look ahead, to gain strength from its heritage in order to be able to face the challenges of today and tomorrow with better awareness of the role played up to now, and the will - nourished by pride in its history - to achieve even more important goals than those already attained.

It all began in March 1948: on the 18th, with the incorporation of the "Società Finanziaria Finmeccanica", and then on the 22nd with the first meeting in Rome of the board of directors, chaired by Aristide Zenari.

1948 was a very special year because it was also the year when the Italian Constitution was promulgated. This coincidence helps us to understand how Finmeccanica and its industrial enterprise are firmly rooted in the history of Italy, in its revival and in its growth.

This relationship linking Italy with Finmeccanica accompanies the entire course of these sixty years. It clearly affirms today, as it did in the past, the role played by industry in the attempt to rebuild the country in the aftermath of the Second World War, and gradually begin to create a valid and competitive image of Italy around the world.

It is a course that is certainly not exhausted and which, in the overall context of globalisation, constitutes a fundamental element in the country's international role.

It is this continuity - a bridge between the past and the future - that enables Finmeccanica to keep its leading role. The sixtieth anniversary celebrations are also an occasion to reward the Chairmen and CEOs who have guided Finmeccanica over the years - they never contented themselves with merely managing what already existed, but instead they expended energy and skill to identify new opportunities.

It is this approach to innovation - Finmeccanica's traditional vocation - and the ability to preserve and develop strategic skills in its various activity sectors, that have been and continue to be the Group's visiting card. With Finmeccanica's wealth of skills and know-how, the whole Group is able to operate successfully in Italy and abroad.

History, ability, innovation, the future - these are the key words of this anniversary. They are also the elements that inspire the initiatives scheduled by Finmeccanica for the celebrations. Each of these components will, in fact, be recognizable in the book by Vera Zamagni that recounts the history of Finmeccanica, to be presented on the occasion of the concert on March 26 opening the celebrations.
 
The orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia conducted by Norbert Balatsch will perform Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, and there will be a travelling photographic exhibition with historical photos from the archives of the Ansaldo Foundation as well as images of the challenges and frontiers of today.

Amongst Finmeccanica's initiatives to mark the anniversary, there is also an important project entitled The Francigene Roads of the South promoted by the Associazione Civita and sponsored together with the Banco di Napoli. Its aim is to make people more aware of the pilgrimage routes in Southern Italy directed towards Jerusalem and the subsequent growth of a network of religious, cultural and tourist routes connecting the southern Vie Francigene with itineraries throughout the rest of Europe.

Another appointment is a concert on July 2 in Piazza del Plebiscito, Naples, when the orchestra and choir of the San Carlo Theatre and the orchestra and choir of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino will join together for the first time under the baton of Zubin Metha to perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Op. 125.

The Christmas Concert, a traditional appointment for the members of the Group, will officially close the sixtieth anniversary celebrations which, besides being an important event, will also be the occasion for several new initiatives.

Perhaps this is not a good time to bring up financial statements. But they are one of the fruits, among many others, gathered during these decades of industrial growth, and are undoubtedly the consequence of a decidedly international dimension. The Group's strategy, consisting of alliances and the ability to succeed in its various sectors, makes it possible for Finmeccanica to thank - on the occasion of its anniversary - the men and women who work for the Group in Italy, Great Britain, the United States and around the world.

This is the scenario today; this is the history leading up to Finmeccanica's anniversary. A story of Italian excellence which is able to take on the global market by widening its horizons, over the course of these sixty years.
 
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