Leonardo - Experts & Thought Leaders

The user may know that fixed licence plate reader technology (LPR) is one of the most powerful security tools available for protecting buildings and perimeters of geographical areas. Best practices for ELSAG® Fixed Plate Hunter LPR systems include: College, university, and school campuses Airports Casinos Manufacturing facilities Houses of worship Transportation depots Utility infrastructure Municipal buildings Military campuses Ports and border stations Fixed plate readers are also proving to be fundamental components of public safety missions designed to protect people in high-pedestrian areas, or those targeted by traffickers and predators. This case study offers three real-life instances of fixed or semi-fixed deployments that not only keep buildings and perimeters secure, but also people. Identifying suspect vehicle The ELSAG Fixed Plate Hunter ALPR in action fixed ELSAG ALPR cameras are attached to infrastructure like a utility pole or sign gantry. Fixed cameras scan plates of passing vehicles, capturing licence plate numbers, date/time stamps and GPS locations. The infrared camera captures b/w images of each plate and a colour camera captures overview images of each vehicle. A computer reads the plate characters and compares them with a hot list. Plates that match a white or hot list trigger instant alerts to security officials. ELSAG Fixed Plate Hunter ALPR Performance: Cameras read licence plates, day or night, in any weather. Plates are processed at up to 150 mph (241 kph) passing speeds, from over 100 feet away. Plates are recognised using specially designed protocols for each jurisdiction in which the systems are deployed ELSAG Fixed Plate Hunter ALPR Performance. Alerts are sent to officials, command centres and other patrol cars instantaneously, upon identifying a suspect vehicle. Captured data includes date/time stamps, GPS coordinates and photo of the licence plate. Fixed systems can capture the speed of passing vehicles. Hot list updates are wirelessly received and transmitted. Keeping people safer Duck, NC is a coastal community located in Dare County on the Outer Banks of North Carolina There are flexible LPR technologies available that allows the user to address any law enforcement and security mission or challenge that involves vehicles with licence plates. Here are three examples of LPR programs using Leonardo systems that were started for routine purposes, then expanded to help keep people safer and more secure. Duck, NC is a coastal community located in Dare County on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It hosts about 20,000 people during the summer months. In 2015 The Chief of Police began an LPR program with two fixed cameras to help manage ‘burglary season’ on the island. Cameras read plates as vehicles enter and leave town. Almost immediately two arrests were made in separate cases of burglars who had been stealing from area homes for over a decade. Identifying stolen vehicles The Duck, NC program also identified stolen vehicles, located missing persons, and exposed narcotic activities, leading to the expansion of their LPR network. Additional fixed cameras protect the 30 miles from Manns Harbor to the Wright Memorial Bridge. Additional fixed cameras protect the 30 miles from Manns Harbor to the Wright Memorial Bridge The Dare County LPR program is now instrumental in keeping track of residents who adhere to hurricane evacuations and any who choose to stay on the island. LPR traffic tallies and licence plate numbers give officials an estimate of people who may need help during the crisis, and an address. “Our LPR systems provided us a starting point to begin and end any type of situation or investigation.” John Cueto, Retired Chief of Police, Duck, NC. Pedestrian-heavy area In 2015, BA Tránsito, the road traffic authority in Buenos Aires, used a network of fixed LPR cameras to support an initiative designed to protect the pedestrian-heavy area of the oldest part of the capital city known as the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Only taxi cabs, government officials and other select vehicles are allowed to use the streets there. If any LPR camera reads the licence plate of a vehicle without a permit, they are mailed a ticket. The success of the original LPR program led to a 2017 expansion to relieve traffic congestion in the area immediately surrounding the Autonomous City. This busy metropolitan area, the ‘centre city ring,’ has multi-lane roads in several directions, dangerously busy with vehicle activity. Cutting down daily traffic To encourage compliance, every licence plate number read is prominently displayed on digital signs BA Tránsito cut down daily traffic by half using fixed LPR systems. Licence plates ending with odd numbers can enter the centre city ring on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Plates ending with even numbers have access on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Police wait nearby to stop unauthorised vehicles. To encourage compliance, every licence plate number read is prominently displayed on digital signs for all other drivers to see. The NTSCIU covers eight counties, looking for criminals who use interstates and highways to smuggle illicit contraband. In 2017 they started an LPR program with two mobile LPR units to read plates as officers patrolled. They expanded their LPR network in 2018 with the addition of a LPR radar trailer housing two fixed cameras to serve as a semi-fixed system that could be easily moved to different places along highways, as needed. LPR radar trailers In 2018, they purchased an additional trailer to use along strategic routes and support requests from other agencies within the NTSCIU to help curtail crimes such as burglaries. While there are countless headlines about NTSCIU’s removal of illicit drugs from Texas highways and seizures of drug money and other contraband, aided by LPR technology, one of their most important cases was the recovery of a child abducted in California. As described by an NTSCIU supervisor, that case alone paid for their entire investment in LPR technology As described by an NTSCIU supervisor, that case alone paid for their entire investment in LPR technology. In 2018, the NTSCIU learned of an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang rally in their jurisdiction. They deployed LPR radar trailers around the event site to gather data (licence plate number, photos of each plate on a bike or vehicle, date and time stamps, and trailer identifier). Fixed LPR technology Should events occur during the rally that would require investigating, law enforcement could analyse the data for information to help resolve the issue. Agencies of every size will benefit from deploying fixed LPR technology—to aid security of places and people. There are lease options and grants available to help with funding, and Leonardo even has a lower-cost video camera LPR solution available now. So, get your agency outfitted with this 21st-century technology that is changing law enforcement best practices by increasing capacity, productivity and facilitating creative ways to address any issue that involves a licence plate.

Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler announced the closing of its $12.5M funding round. With this new funding, the company will enable European Service Providers and Companies to take back full independence and control over their data, infrastructures, and costs. Data security challenges More than 180 billion Terabytes of data will be produced in 2025, and 75% of this will be created and processed at the edge. This explosive growth raises data orchestration complexity, cyber-attacks, sovereignty risks, and costs. AI and media creation are compounding this out-of-control growth, which is becoming an ever-growing concern when it comes to geopolitical scenarios and the protection of sensitive data. Cubbit eradicates these challenges by enabling organisations to create, in just minutes, their own geo-distributed S3 cloud storage that can slot into any infrastructure and policy framework - from hybrid cloud to the edge. DS3 Composer Cubbit also guarantees the required data resiliency SLAs using 25/50% less disk space With its DS3 Composer, Cubbit combines a proprietary data orchestration platform, and its deep tech data fragmentation and geo-distribution technology: the result is a sovereign, hyper-resilient, flexible, and highly cost-efficient cloud storage service that protects European data. The Company summarises its approach with: “Your Cloud. Your Rules. Anywhere.” Cubbit also guarantees the required data resiliency SLAs using 25/50% less disk space and IT resources compared to traditional cloud storage, therefore minimising their cloud carbon footprint. New, returning, and individual investors The round was co-led by LocalGlobe, EMEA’s number one VC investor according to the 2023 Dealroom report, and ETF Partners, Europe’s original sustainability investor. Among the new investors joining Cubbit are also Verve Ventures, 2100 Ventures, Hydra (holding of Datalogic), Growth Engine, Eurenergia and Moonstone.  Azimut Libera Impresa SGR – Azimut Digitech Fund under the advisory of FNDX, CDP Venture Capital SGR through its Fondo Evoluzione, and Primo Ventures are returning investors. Individual investors include Fabio Fregi, former Italy Country Manager of Google Cloud, and Joe Zadeh, former VP of Product at Airbnb.  Technology adoption with new funding The new funding will enable Cubbit to grow CAPEX-free in Europe, initially focusing on the DACH The new funding will enable Cubbit to grow CAPEX-free in Europe, initially focusing on the DACH, and French-speaking regions, as well as the United Kingdom. The round will also further accelerate Cubbit’s technology adoption, which is rapidly growing in Europe with more than 350 business customers, and is supported by several international partnerships, including HPE, Equinix, and Exclusive Networks. Part of the funding will go towards further consolidation of the application ecosystem around Cubbit’s enabling technology to support vertical projects in various industries, including aerospace, defence, cybersecurity, healthcare, and public administration. Geo-distributed technology "Having top-tier international VCs invest in Cubbit's geo-distributed technology is a major endorsement," said Stefano Onofri, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Cubbit. He adds, "Over the past few years, we have grown massively and closed key partnerships and agreements with international players such as Leonardo, HPE, and Equinix - now it's time to take our expansion to the next level." Cloud enabler Alessandro Cillario, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Cubbit, said "Enterprises worldwide are facing the daunting challenge of orchestrating massive amounts of data, or they will soon. They don’t need just another cloud provider; they require a cloud enabler that allows them to implement the custom IT infrastructure strategy that they are looking for." He adds, "Organisations need to keep full control over their data to simplify their workflows and reduce costs. Cubbit is here to help them achieve what was not possible before." Double-edged sword Patrick Sheehan, Managing Partner and Founder of ETF Partners, said, "We're witnessing a double-edged sword in the tech revolution: cloud storage is powering unprecedented innovation but at a steep environmental cost. As data centres use more and more energy, their carbon footprint continues to skyrocket." Reduces cloud storage emissions Patrick Sheehan adds, "Cubbit's Composer technology responds to this immediate challenge. It is a game-changer that reduces cloud storage emissions without slowing progress." He continues, "It's not just an incremental improvement; it's a leap towards sustainable digital infrastructure. We have been very impressed by the vision of the Cubbit team and what they have already achieved and are keen to help them continue to make a profound impact." Cloud storage software Ferdinando Sigona, Partner of LocalGlobe, said, "Data generation is already one of today’s steepest exponential curves, and the generative AI wave is only poised to accelerate this further. As a result, companies of all types and sizes are facing escalating complexity and cost." Ferdinando Sigona adds, "At the same time, the geopolitical environment is driving investment into AI sovereignty, and we think that the need for control will extend down the stack, all the way to data storage. Cubbit’s cloud storage software elegantly addresses all of these needs, and we’re excited to back Stefano, Alessandro, and the whole team as they respond to the intense pull they’re experiencing from the market."

Under the patronage of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt’s Arab Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Egypt is set to host the 3rd edition of Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX), taking place from 4 to 7 December 2023, at Egypt International Exhibition Centre. The exhibition will showcase the latest military technology, equipment, and systems across land, sea, and air through more than 400 exhibitors from 46 countries.  Event attendees The event will welcome a number of officials and military delegations who have confirmed their attendance to witness the latest defence technology and systems while enabling them to exchange ideas and build invaluable relationships between key players in the industry. EDEX 2023 will include 22 country pavilions from Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America.  Defence and security event The exhibition provides a unique opportunity for visitors to witness the latest technology Organised by Arabian Word Events (AWE), the pioneering organiser of award-winning international events, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Military Production, and the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation, EDEX is the only defence and security event that covers Africa and the Middle East and the largest in Africa.  The exhibition provides a unique opportunity for visitors to witness the latest technology, equipment, defence systems, and military products in addition to the Egyptian Pavilion where attendees can view the cutting-edge present and future capabilities of the Ministry of Military Production. High-level military delegations from more than 100 countries have been invited, and 35,000 visitors are expected to attend the exhibition over four days.    EDEX EDEX is set to feature an impressive lineup of renowned companies covering all aspects of defence and security, such as land vehicles, air defence, coastal defence, shipbuilders, maintenance and repair, cyber security, missile systems, unmanned and autonomous systems, parachuting and airdrop, satellite communication, search and rescue, surveillance systems, tactical equipment, training and simulation equipment, and much more. Don't miss the chance to explore cutting-edge innovations across these crucial sectors at the event.  Industry sponsors EDEX has secured high-level industry sponsors including a handful of the world's most reputable military equipment manufacturers namely; Amstone, Dassault Aviation, Hanwha, MBDA, ALIT, Lockheed Martin, Naval Group, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Esri, NAS and Leonardo DRS. Over its past editions, the event gained growing momentum with the participation of nearly 400 exhibitors from 42 countries in 2021, a notable increase from 376 exhibitors from 41 countries in 2018. Also, EDEX 2021 saw the attendance of 78 official VIP delegations from 54 countries, and more than 30,000 visitors.