
Italy's Leonardo buys a European cybersecurity company
PARIS :Italy's Leonardo will soon announce the acquisition of a European cybersecurity company, its chairman told Reuters on Tuesday, as the aerospace and defence group consolidates a business seen as increasingly important in new combat systems.
"Cybersecurity is an essential component in so-called multi-domain warfare, where everything is connected with everything. Connections must be secure so that the enemy cannot use parts of a system," Stefano Pontecorvo said.
Pontecorvo did not name the company or give a more precise timeframe.
In October, Leonardo's Chief Executive Roberto Cingolani said the state-controlled company was looking at dozens of domestic and foreign companies for possible acquisitions, cautioning that no single deal would cost more than 15 per cent of the cybersecurity division's turnover.
He had added that the group expected double-digit percentage growth in the cybersecurity business in the coming years.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNA
13 minutes ago
- CNA
Spanish bank BBVA tells wealthy clients to invest in bitcoin
LONDON :Spanish lender BBVA is advising wealthy clients to invest up to 7 per cent of their portfolio into cryptocurrencies, an executive said on Tuesday, in the latest sign some banks are warming to a sector long avoided by mainstream finance because of its risks. BBVA's private bank advises clients to invest 3 per cent to 7 per cent of their portfolio in cryptocurrencies depending on their risk appetite, Philippe Meyer, head of digital & blockchain solutions at BBVA Switzerland, told the DigiAssets conference in London. "With private customers, since September last year, we started advising on bitcoin," Meyer said. "The riskier profile, we allow up to 7 per cent of (portfolios in) crypto." Cryptocurrency prices have surged in recent years, with bitcoin hitting another record high in May. That follows a recovery from lows hit in 2022 when a series of top exchanges, including FTX, collapsed, leaving millions of investors out of pocket. Their rebound has been helped by U.S. President Donald Trump's pro-crypto stance. While many private banks execute client requests to buy cryptocurrencies, it is relatively unusual for them to advise them to actively buy them. Regulators continue to warn about the risks of cryptocurrencies, saying investors should expect to lose all their money. The European Securities and Markets Authority said earlier this year that 95 per cent of EU banks do not engage in crypto activities. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the event, Meyer told Reuters he believed BBVA was one of the first large global banks to advise its wealthy clients to buy cryptocurrencies. It had been executing on client requests to buy them since 2021, he said. The 3-7 per cent advice currently applies to bitcoin and ether, but BBVA plans to expand the advice to other cryptocurrencies later this year, he said. Meyer said that clients had been receptive so far to the advice, and dismissed concerns the asset was too risky. "If you look at a balanced portfolio, if you introduce 3 per cent you already boost the performance," Meyer said. "At 3 per cent you are not taking a huge risk."


CNA
27 minutes ago
- CNA
Leonardo, Airbus, Thales to assess feasibility of space alliance by end-July
PARIS :European aerospace companies Leonardo Thales and Airbus will assess the feasibility of a space alliance by the end of July, Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani said on Tuesday at the Paris Airshow. Under so-called "Project Bromo", named after an Indonesian volcano, the three groups have been exploring plans to set up a new joint space company as Europe looks to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink. Cingolani said that by the end of next month the three groups would have assessed several aspects of a potential partnership, including possible European antitrust hurdles, financial due diligence, and "the value creation" of the venture. "The business model will take more time, however," the CEO added, speaking to reporters, He confirmed that the structure of the alliance would be similar to that of Europe's top missile maker MBDA, owned by Airbus, Leonardo and BAE Systems, although "slightly different in governance". Cingolani also said that Leonardo and Thales - which already have two joint ventures in the space sector, namely Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio - were considering merging these into the new entity. "It's a moment when we are discussing all scenarios," he said. Separately, Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso told reporters that he hoped talks over a potential Italian-French space alliance could include Germany too.


CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Leonardo CEO sees advantages in new entrants to GCAP fighter programme
PARIS :There are advantages of new entrants joining an Italian-British-Japanese next-generation fighter jet programme, but it's a decision for the governments involved, the head of Italian aerospace and defence group Leonardo said on Tuesday. Speaking at the Paris Airshow, Roberto Cingolani said more partners could help boost the technology of the Global Combat Air Programme. He also said that Saudi Arabia joining the programme - which has long been mooted - would open up a big market with great potential. Cingolani said he saw room for many partners in future, while reiterating that this would be a political decision. He added that the project's 2035 deadline was "serious and strict" and "we must make all efforts to meet it". "We are on schedule but it is a complex development," he added. Two sources close to the matter told Reuters last month that Japan had growing doubts that the project would meet the 2035 target, potentially forcing Tokyo to plug air defence gaps with new U.S. F-35 stealth planes or upgrades to aging jets. GCAP is an effort by Japan and its two European partners to build a next-generation fighter free from the operational restrictions that often come with purchases of U.S.-made military equipment. For example, buyers are often not allowed to do upgrades and maintenance without U.S. permission. The project is being led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan, BAE Systems in Britain and Leonardo in Italy. France, Germany and Spain are working on a rival project, although one of its partners - Airbus - said in January it could see the two programmes combining, or at least designed to work together.