“Leonardo's technology will help make Rio de Janeiro the first smart city in South America”. So the president of Leonardo Brasil, Francesco Moliterni, he commented with FIRSTonline on the recent agreement signed with the State of Rio and with two other large Italian companies such as Enel and Tim, "to design what I prefer to call an intelligent and resilient city". But that's not all: "Leonardo's potential in Brazil and throughout Latin America is enormous: by offering 'complete packages' we can become technological leaders in the civil sector, especially in the prevention of environmental disasters and the optimization of agribusiness" .
President, how does Leonardo operate in South America?
“We are based in Brasília but we have offices in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and we are also about to land in Mexico, which is a very strategic country. Most of the activity is concentrated in Brazil, where we have a helicopter maintenance center in Itapevi (Sao Paulo), which will also be a service center for the Latam airline with an investment of 10 million, and we have a strong presence in Rio in oil&gas. At the moment what we sell here we produce in the USA and Italy, but the trend will be to open a production center in South America”.
The helicopter business in Brazil is in an important phase, with waiting lists of almost two years for VIP customers. Is this the sign that we are emerging from the pandemic?
“As in other countries, the crisis in Brazil has further polarized wealth, and the luxury market is the first market to restart: here there is no middle class and after years of uncertainty, the super rich want to pamper themselves. This explains the boom in helicopter orders (in Brazil we have a total of over 200), which are ultra-customized vehicles worth millions of euros, but I also see it from the high-end real estate market in a city like Rio, where at this stage you buy it à la carte. The identikit of the buyer is the agribusiness entrepreneur, who is the wealthiest category here and has become increasingly so with the pandemic".
However, there are elections in Brazil this year and some turbulence could come. How do you assess the situation?
“We don't have any signs of tension, on the contrary, as far as we are concerned, business is progressing well thanks to the collaboration with local realities, which are the ones we have to deal with the most and which do not go to the vote. Furthermore, the euro is weakening against the real (since November 2021 it has lost almost 10%, ed) and this benefits those who, like us, sell in euros".
Are orders only for commercial helicopters growing?
“No, indeed the main sector remains that of oil & gas, for which we supply over 70 vehicles: we work indirectly with oil companies such as Petrobras, which has chosen our models as a reference for the air taxi service that connects the offshore platforms. And we are also present in the military, with the navy, but we can still grow a lot with the police force and the fire brigade. However, let me say that Leonardo is not just helicopters but offers overall technological systems in 5 dimensions: land, air, water, space and cyberspace. So satellite systems, cyber security, planes, drones, IT protection. The helicopter itself is no longer conceived as a simple means of transport: the one used for air rescue, for example, will increasingly be a mobile hospital, thanks to telemedicine in which we also invest heavily. Our goal is to grow, also by combining skills and developing new products with local agreements".
Is there therefore the hypothesis of acquisitions in Brazil or Latin America?
"Why not. The priority, however, is to strengthen partnerships with strategic industries. For example, as has already happened in Defense: the Brazilian AMX fighter, which is a source of pride for the country, was also designed thanks to the Italian know-how of Alenia. We are present here with Leonardo and Telespazio: we have about 200 employees and they are almost all Brazilians, demonstrating the strategy of enhancing local skills, which are not lacking".
Speaking of Telespazio, what is your role in Brazil in the aerospace sector?
“Telespazio will build a new satellite gateway for OneWeb at the Maricà teleport in Brazil which will be operational for all of Latin America by the end of the year, when the OneWeb constellation will begin to provide a global service with its network”.
You recently signed an agreement with the state of Rio for the smart city. Tim and Enel are also involved: what will come of this mix of Italian excellence?
“Leonardo will mainly deal with satellite systems, security, fleet management in mobility, with a system already tested for the first time in Buenos Aires. Enel X will mainly deal with sustainable mobility, while Tim is among other things in the 5G game, therefore the internet of things. We are also involved in culture: Rio is importing, through an agreement with our Ministry of Culture, a technological model to protect the archaeological and environmental heritage".
Speaking of the environment, in recent months Brazil has suffered several catastrophic events due to abnormal rains that have caused floods, landslides and mudslides in various states. Can Leonardo play a role in the fight against climate change?
“Absolutely yes, we have the technology to prevent these phenomena, through satellite monitoring systems and above all a unique communication standard, which makes the work of those who have to intervene safer and faster. There is a very wide margin of involvement. For example, in Brazil we have not yet sold even a drone, which instead can be essential for the protection of infrastructures such as dams (but I am also thinking of oil & gas), for police operations and for the smart city itself".
To solve the traffic problem and for deliveries, for example.
"Exact. Brazil is a country of over 220 million people, with some cities that are huge. Leonardo is working on parcel deliveries centrally, from Rome. Soon there will be news here too ".
Will you also be able to contribute to the economic growth of Brazil and South America?
“Yes, I'll give you an example. In Peru and Mexico we have already sold our latest generation C27J aircraft, a jewel that was born with military functions but adapts to any Civil Protection operation, including landing on dirt and semi-prepared runways. It is already being used in a wide range of difficult operational contexts, from military transport to humanitarian assistance, not to mention the use made of it during the Covid emergency. A real aircraft for emergencies, which however in Brazil can also be used in the agri-food industry (which represents over a quarter of GDP, ed): many farms are located in remote areas, close to the Amazon forest and it takes days and weeks to transport the meat to the rest of the country and abroad, not to mention the costs to guarantee the cold chain. With the C27J even these areas would be reachable in flight”.
