Leonardo and ADR join up on the development of the “smart hubs”

Leonardo and Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) have signed a partnership aimed at developing joint initiatives to facilitate the transition of airport assets managed by ADR into smart hubs.

The guidelines of the agreement cover joint planning on the creation of solutions and services in the field of cyber security, such as surveillance, monitoring, communication and decision support systems dedicated to critical infrastructures and urban air mobility, with particular reference to the development requirements of ground infrastructure and air traffic control.

The definition of the agreement is part of Leonardo’s technological and market development roadmaps identified in the Be Tomorrow - Leonardo 2030 strategic plan, based on long-term sustainable growth, and in ADR’s strategy on Sustainability and Innovation aimed at doing system with the major national players to face the momentous challenges for the airport and for the country.

“For Leonardo, the national player for security and resilience of critical infrastructures, the agreement with ADR means combining the distinctive skills of two players of excellence – says Alessandro Profumo, Chief Executive Officer of Leonardo – creating a technological partnership with ADR for secure digital transformation. We are proud to provide our advanced solutions in the aerospace, defence, and cyber security sectors to ADR to strengthen and promote innovation, digitization and environmental sustainability of the airports for the first Italian airport hub”.

“The agreement signed with Leonardo” – highlights Marco Troncone, Chief Executive Officer of Aeroporti di Roma – “stems from the desire of two large companies to share a common vision in the creation of a system that identifies innovative, sustainable and truly effective solutions, which are able to effectively contribute to the sustainable and digital transition of the aviation sector for the benefit of the country. For some time now we have strongly accelerated innovation and digitalization, areas in which – together with sustainability – we aim to be forerunners and to implement solutions of excellence”.

In the cyber security field, ADR – manager of the best airport in Europe over the last three years – adopts the best-in-class market solutions to ensure constant protection of airport system and passenger information. The collaboration between Leonardo and ADR includes the development of a managed service for the collection and processing of information and events, analysed through Artificial Intelligence, which will utilise the Security Operation Centers (SOC) of Leonardo di Chieti, in Italy, and Bristol, UK, to identify specific risk profiles of the airport hub. Cyber intelligence services will also be implemented with the aim of preventing any attacks, understanding their matrix and characteristics, and verifying the degree of infrastructure security. Subsequently, taking advantage of Leonardo’s Cyber Range platform, a digital twin of the Rome airport hub will be created to simulate attacks and study the appropriate methods of reaction and to train personnel on the operational structures.

With regards to surveillance, monitoring, communication and decision support systems, Leonardo places the X-2030 platform at the service of ADR for the collection, integration, and enhancement of security information from diversified sources and the coordination of interventions. In addition to the Global Ranger System, SCADA application for remote control and supervision of transport infrastructures, and the Ganimede web platform based on deep learning for the analysis of live or recorded video sources.

Finally, for the area of urban air mobility Leonardo and ADR will maximise synergies for the development of infrastructure and interface requirements and for the study of issues relating to both the control of ground air traffic and the legal and regulatory aspects of in-flight operations. In this context, ADR is participating with Leonardo at the national table with ENAC on the national roadmap of Urban Air Mobility and Advanced Air Mobility. It intends to launch the first connections to Fiumicino in 2024, also in collaboration with one of the most advanced manufacturers, and to position itself as an international player in the development of land infrastructures with vertiports.