Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: Italy’s expertise and stronger ties with the U.S. could lead to expanded opportunities for Wisconsin companies in that field.
Italy’s aviation industry is strong, as the fourth-largest in Europe and seventh-largest worldwide, according to the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). Its specialties include commercial helicopters, regional aircraft, and propulsion.
More than 500 companies with more than 47,000 employees are part of the aviation industry, and they generate €16.4 billion ($18.7 billion USD) in annual revenue.
The aerospace industry also plays a significant role in Italy’s economy, accounting for 250 companies, about 7,000 employees, and €1.9 billion ($2.2 billion USD) in annual revenue.
Italy has numerous highly specialized aerospace clusters and districts centered in 11 regions around the country. They are all part of the Italian National Aerospace Technology Cluster.
According to the ITA, the Piedmont area, bordering France and Switzerland, is home to the largest number of companies, universities, and research centers in the country, followed by the Lazio region, which includes Rome, and the Lombardy region, whose capital is Milan.
Leonardo is the leading aerospace company in Italy. It is the fifth-largest in Europe and tenth globally, with 31,000 employees in Italy and 70 facilities.
About two-thirds of the sector is made up of companies that supply aircraft, spacecraft, and related devices (47%) and companies that specialize in repair (19.6%). The others manufacture equipment such as radar, flight recorders, and engine control instruments.
The Italian space agency was established in 1988, and it has been involved in numerous international space exploration missions. Its first large scientific satellite mission was BeppoSAX, developed in collaboration with the Netherlands and launched in 1996.
Italy is also one of the few countries with a complete space industry supply chain, including construction of carrier rockets and satellites, space data acquisition, and management of images and big data.
Italy is strengthening bonds with the U.S. in the aerospace sector. President Joe Biden and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni released a joint statement in July 2023 pledging to promote “industrial cooperation with government support” and reaffirming their partnership on space exploration.
Such an alliance can fuel additional collaborations between U.S. and Italian companies, which would open the door to Wisconsin businesses in the aerospace sector.
