Liguria. “There Piaggio Aerospace does not concern us, we are not interested. We can’t afford it and it’s out of our product portfolio.” And the “incriminate” phrase pronounced today by Leonardo’s CEO Roberto Cingolaniresponding to a question from reporters on the sidelines of the conference organized in Genoa by Uilm ‘The future of the Ligurian defense industry between geopolitical challenges, innovation and green and digital transition’.
To ask for a Leonardo’s involvement he had been in the rescue of the aeronautical company with factories in Genoa and Villanova d’Albenga also the Minister of Business and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso. But not only: the trade unions themselvesin the context of the dispute and debate on industrial solutions, had advocated for a participation by a public company of the sector.
However, Cingolani’s words, with a sale procedure of the aeronautical company still underway, sparked the harsh reaction from the commissioners of Piaggio Aerospace, who spoke openly about possible bid rigging. Vincenzo Nicastro he highlighted: “Enough, enough with this story. Repeat iuvant, but in this case it is of no use, also because we don’t understand the reason. Every time we are about to end an auction there is this statement, I wouldn’t want it to become disruptive. It is legitimate to ask, but not to answer…”.
“Let’s not forget that Piaggio has already been in extraordinary administration, we wouldn’t want him to go there a third time. Piaggio is an important company, in its own small way, and we have a series of initiatives that we are developing. Suffice it to say that we are the maintainers of the Frecce Tricolori who will now go to the United States for a few months and we will follow them”.
On timing for the definitive conclusion of the tender: “A further new due diligence is underway which will end in early May, after which we will give the time to make the offer and at the end we will have some more information on the fate of the company” concluded Nicastro.
AND Vincenzo Cosentino added: “Beyond Leonardo’s declarations that she may or may not be interested, this company is healthy and viable, as Minister Urso himself stated. It has great technological validity and future perspective, so yesIt can certainly be of interest to serious groups that are able to make an investment. It is clear, however, that free and meaningless statements can create a bid rigging. Since we commissioners are managing the company but we also have to assign it a future, the auction interests us a lot and we must protect it as best we can.”
In the merit of theacquisition: “It is not important to say how many possible buyers there are. The commissioners, being public officials who must ensure the future of the company, must be very careful about who to entrust it to, with what reliability, what competence and with what industrial plan”.
“We are waiting for one re-evaluation of the offers also in light of Piaggio’s situation todaywhich is not a decayed company, is a company that is alive and well and has important prospects” Cosentino further highlighted.
Among the ongoing projects: “We are thinking aboutEuropean multi-engine trainer: P180 seems to be favored. These things don’t come out, instead ‘I don’t care’ comes out. It’s the wrong message.”
“Piaggio has developed a drone, then the program ended because there was no national interest. Today we talk about slow drones, with few capabilities, when instead the drone developed by us, completely frozen, is one generation ahead of current drones: faster, more performing. It’s a assets that our country has developed and which is now dormant” concluded Cosentino.
Tags: Leonardo Piaggio commissioners disruption company healthy buyer
