Avionics: Magnaghi invests 70 million in high-tech in the South

The Magnaghi Group is launching a major investment: this forms part of the Tasca project (Advanced Technologies for Aeronautical Control Surfaces), which aims to enable the Naples-based company to take its second technological leap towards smart aerostructures. A total of 70 million will be invested over 36 months, and between 40 and 60 people will be recruited. To achieve this, Magnaghi will sign a development contract with Invitalia. The project is expected to enable the company to double its turnover by 2030, having reached 250 million in 2025.

Magnaghi Aeronautica, which specialises in the manufacture of landing systems, is the oldest company in the group of the same name, founded in Naples in 1936 to support the flight operations of the Italian Air Force. Today, it is one of the very few international players capable of designing, certifying, manufacturing and maintaining complete landing systems entirely in-house.

Having largely implemented the 26–31 investment plan for its overseas plants, particularly in Canada, Magnaghi has now launched a new and more ambitious industrial development plan, spurred in part by the reorganisation of incentives, particularly those aimed at the South. The focus is primarily on the adoption of new technologies and on research and development. This will mainly concern the plants in Naples, Caserta and Brindisi (the Salver site, part of the same group).

A cornerstone of the plan is digitalisation: there are plans to establish a centre of excellence in quantum computing between Naples and Brindisi. The project is to be carried out in partnership with IonQ Italia – a subsidiary of the American company of the same name – led by Marco Pistoia, with whom Magnaghi is about to sign a collaboration agreement. IonQ Italia is part of a company founded just five years ago in the US, which is now valued at around 18 billion on the New York Stock Exchange. Pistoia has a background in research at IBM and JPMorgan. IonQ Italia is set to open an office in Rome, whilst also establishing a presence at Magnaghi’s facility in Naples. The aim of the agreement is to use quantum computing to accelerate testing and simulations for certification trials and ultra-high-performance aerospace components.

Another important aspect of the Tasca project is training. “In the southern regions,” says CEO Paolo Graziano, “we find talent and skills, partly thanks to our collaboration with the University of Naples Federico II and the Milan Polytechnic. Furthermore, we see a high level of staff loyalty: these are key drivers of competitiveness. In this context, training at all levels is a priority for us.’ In this regard, the Naples-based company – which currently employs 1,400 people – aims to set up an in-house Academy. ‘Here,’ adds Graziano, ‘staff will also be trained in quantum computing.’