Meckenheim, September 20th 2018. Elettronica GmbH, a 100% German Defence Company, leaded by Marcello Mariucci as Managing Director, is celebrating its 40th anniversary from the foundation in 1978. A big goal for a company born as a local logistic and maintenance facility created to support the mother company, Elettronica S.p.A, in occasion of the award of its first contract with the German MoD for the provision of Electronic Warfare Countermeasures to be installed on board of the F104 Starfighter. Over the years, this German industrial entity started its growth within Europe thanks to the participation in outstanding international Defence programs such as Eurofighter and NH90. During the last decade, Elettronica GmbH has successfully entered the new market segment of Homeland Security and EW Simulation, acquiring new capabilities and skills, enlarging its customer portfolio in Germany and abroad, evolving from a logistics company to engineering and systems integration entity able to cope with the most demanding requirements of the Aerospace & Defence market.
Elettronica GmbH can be regarded as an EW center of excellence for German MoD and a leading company in supplying Police Forces with its fully equipped vehicles for surveillance and intelligence. As part of the European Defence industry, the Company has felt the responsibility to provide its contribution to the debate on the current strategic issues involving the Common European Defence Policy and the opportunities that could derive for Electronic Warfare
and Homeland Security Industries.
The event gathered representatives from German and Italian Military Institutions and Industries as well as Politicians, hosting outstanding personalities as speakers such as Axel Binder, Commander of the German Strategic Reconnaissance Command, Rear. Adm. (UH) Giuseppe Abbamonte, Director of the General Directorate for Telecommunications, IT and Advanced Technologies (TELEDIFE) – Italian Ministry of Defence, Mr. MP Marcus Faber, Member of Parliament and of the Defence Committee of the Bundestag, and Mr. Volker Paltzo, CEO of Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH.

“This anniversary represents the opportunity to underline the importance of the 40 years ago intuition to open the EW gateway to Europe, pursuing an innovation‐oriented business concept, with solid Italian roots, but looking to the future with a strong German footprint. At the same time, the leading idea aimed at implementing a deeper collaboration between industries able to foster the cooperation and integration of the European Defence Industry, which could represent the base for the creation of an effective European Defence strategy among the Member States” said Mr Enzo Benigni, President and CEO of Elettronica Group in his welcome address.

Elettronica’s German footprint has been stressed out by the significative and passionate words of Maj. Gen. Axel Binder, in his welcome address: “Elettronica has proven to be a reliable and valuable partner for the Federal Armed Forces and Strategic Reconnaissance Command.”

The celebration of the 40th anniversary has been also the stage for a really intense debate, chaired by Dennis Merklinghaus, Editor in Chief of Mönch Publishing Group, on how to pursue a common industrial and institutional strategic approach towards a European Defence Strategy. “European Defence integration process is going on. Initiatives such as PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) are really fruitful to this purpose for their contribution to fulfilling the EU’s Level of ambition and facilitating Member States involvement in multinational procurement projects, together with PADR and EDF which, for sure, will have a big impact in improving the coordination and the scope of Member States Defence spending”, said Rear Adm. Abbamonte.

Mr. Marcus Faber, member of the Bundestag and of the Defence Committee, underlined how European Countries should work together in order to build a common and effective European trade compliance and armaments export policy in order “to be more and more competitive in comparison with non EU defence industries”; concluding his speech he added: “it is really interesting to observe how an Italian successful Company has been able develop a similar successful business with a German mindset in our Country, creating highly qualified jobs for the North Rheno‐Westphalia region”.

The round table has had a specific focus on the relevance of a closer cooperation within the Defence and Security sector from both Institutions and Industries point of view, in order to enhance the level of integration, increase the investments in Defence R&D as well as strengthen the interoperability within Member States military assets.

Volker Paltzo, Eurofighter CEO, offered his industrial point of view, affirming: “ELT is a reliablemsupplier within the Eurofighter Program. Surely Electronic warfare will be in the future one of the main areas for the upgrade of Eurofighter capabilities. Eurofighter will be the central pillar of European air Defence and a stepping‐stone into the Future Combat Air Systems.”

The real opportunities created by an European industry integration have been underlined by the Country Manager of Elt GmbH Marcello Mariucci who said “Our company and the European projects such as Eurofighter and NH90 that involve our systems and capabilities are the concrete proof of the virtuous cycle generated by the collaboration. We really hope to go ahead in that direction. Elt GmbH is ready for this challenge!”