LEONARDO R&D

The project concerns the promoter's investments in Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) activities carried out in its Helicopters Division aimed at (i) expanding the capabilities and performance of its products, (ii) integrating the latest technologies into all of its programmes, as well as (iii) developing new products. The project includes also, partly, investments in Cybersecurity, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Digitalisation and the deployment of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) as well as investments in cohesion areas to comply with the applicable legislation (safety in the workplace, environment) and improvement of industrial processes.

The project aims at (i) improving Leonardo Helicopter's current product portfolio and developing new products, (ii) improving the Cybersecurity of Leonardo's network to prevent intrusions, (iii) developing security solutions for autonomous vehicles, (iv) rationalising the group ICT network and software base. The investments in convergence areas target primarily the compliance with legislative requirements in terms of safety in the workplace, seismic behaviour of buildings, environmental impact of the facilities as well as improvement of efficiency of the industrial processes.

The project concerns investments in research and development not specifically mentioned under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2014/52/EU amending the EIA Directive 2011/92/EU, and expected to be carried out in existing facilities that will not change their already authorised scope and would therefore not require an EIA.

The promoter has been assessed by the EIB as being a private company not being subject to EU rules on public procurement or concessions. However, if after the project appraisal, the EIB were to conclude that the promoter is after all subject to EU public procurement legislation 2014/24/EU, then the Bank would require the promoter to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project will be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation 2014/24/EU, where applicable, as well as Directive 89/665/EEC as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with the publication of tender notices in the Official Journal of the EU, as and where required.