Could you share with us your thoughts on where Boeing sees the most growth in the upcoming years?

Last year, approximately 3.5 billion people flew, which represents half of the global population. This growth will bring about volatility, and we need to work with that. Boeing has invested €5.6 billion in Italy, making us the most important non-Italian aerospace entity. This investment is primarily due to the 787 program, but also the partnership with Avio GE on the engines. We are connected to the three major programs that will define commercial aviation for the next 20 years, which are the 787, 737 MAX, and 777X. With 150 people working in Italy for Boeing, we are supporting 13,000 jobs. We see growth in the defense market and in the service business of defense, especially in integrated logistics and the tanker. We also see a lot of positive growth for Alitalia together with Rome airport with the expansion of the intercontinental network.

Can you discuss your relationship with Umbra Group and what Umbra Cuscinetti’s main focus is?

Umbra Group is becoming a large brand consisting of five companies that operate in Italy, Germany, and the United States. We have four manufacturing sites and work together on projects. Umbra Cuscinetti specializes in the manufacture of ballscrews, ball bearings, and actuators. We are the largest company in the Umbra Group, representing 75% of its business. Umbra Group has around 1,000 employees in total, of which Umbra Cuscinetti has around 700.

Umbra Cuscinetti has been focused on developing robotic integration. Can you describe the direction you want to take within this segment?

Umbra plans on integrating components around the ballscrew, which is the main part that we manufacture. We anticipate a strong evolution in terms of mechanical and electrical parts in the upcoming years. Umbra Cuscinetti wants to lead the aerospace industry by showcasing a future where there is an integration between robots and humans. Through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), we aim to create a better workplace and reduce costs for our customers. This is not only a way to produce and assemble parts with increasing speed, but also a strategy to inform the world that Italy, through innovation, is not an expensive place to do business.

Could you speak about the company’s collaboration with Boeing and Airbus, and where you see these relationships going in the future?

Boeing was really the launch pad for Umbra Cuscinetti when we started regular operations together in 1987. Boeing searched the world to find the best manufacturers of ballscrews, without regard to where the company was located. We gained know-how from our French partners, managerial skills from our German partners, and marketing and communication skills from our American partners. We discovered Umbra Cuscinetti’s priority was social responsibility, which is a key reason why Boeing works with us. We are not just a partner on the business side, but also within community development. We have a reputation as a problem-solving company within the aerospace industry. In 1993, when the industry was looking for ballscrews that did not require any maintenance over the life of the aircraft, Umbra created an alloy to serve that purpose. Since we started our partnership with Boeing, Umbra Cuscinetti has accepted large challenges.

Umbra has been working indirectly with Airbus, given that their purchasing strategy is not the same as Boeing’s. Boeing purchases everything from large systems to single components directly from suppliers. Instead, Airbus wants to work with up to 10 companies and then manage the supply chain. We are more than an assembly company and have software and electronic capabilities that allow mechanical components to move with electrical systems.