Since its inception, the Leonardo Innovation Award has become a powerful tool for progress, enabling us to tap into the expertise, passion and ideas of Leonardo employees and translate them into action. The Award also demonstrates our approach that innovation must be a continuous journey powered by people.
The 2025 edition produced more than 125 proposals, a 16% rise on the previous year, with ideas coming from all five geographies where we operate – Italy, UK, USA, Poland and Switzerland.
Ideas were divided into seven categories:
• Innovative Idea
• Best Development 2025
• Customer Support
• Digital Transformation
• People First
• Helicopters First – Management Processes
• Helicopters First – Productive Processes
Innovation in action
Over the years, the Innovation Award has played a direct role in developing technological solutions that directly benefit customers. Here are three examples of winning ideas and the benefits they are delivering.
ORIGAMI
As part of constant innovation efforts to enhance the design of our products, one of the most notable examples is ORIGAMI – a groundbreaking concept for the aerodynamic tips of a helicopter’s tailplane. Designed to improve stability at high speeds and enhance performance at low speeds, it addresses the complex aerodynamic challenges faced by modern helicopters.
The design focuses on the outer sections of the horizontal tailplane — the winglets. Unlike conventional tips, ORIGAMI winglets feature a refined aerodynamic shape inspired by the art of origami, where folding transforms a simple sheet into a complex three-dimensional structure.
Key advantages include improved stability across both high- and low-speed regimes and a retrofit-ready design, replacing conventional tips while preserving the main tailplane body. Its performance is certified, with EASA approval and installation on all new AW169 configurations.
Diagnostic Services Tower
The Diagnostic Services Tower, born out of a winning Leonardo Innovation Award idea, is our state-of-the-art workspace designed to enhance the maintenance and logistic support of customer helicopter fleets. Now operational in Sesto Calende, Italy, Yeovil – UK and Philadelphia – US, sites, the Diagnostic Services Tower deliver Data Driven Digital Services, using artificial intelligence and the latest data analytics.
Data recorded in flight and on ground provide valuable insights into the performance of individual aircraft. These data are then transferred securely via the Leonardo datalink, with thousands of parameters analysed using the computing power of the Leonardo DaVinci-1 supercomputer to help reduce downtime, improve fleet availability and enable predictive maintenance.
Vortex Ring State Alert Indicator and Cueing
Vortex Ring State is a hazardous aerodynamic phenomenon that threatens the safe operation of helicopters and tiltrotors. One of our winning Innovation Award entries has led to the development of a Vortex Ring State Indicator and Cueing system that is now patented and operational on the AW609 tiltrotor.
The system brings an added layer of safety by warning the flightcrew of the threat of entering Vortex Ring State using a combination of visual and aural cues. The technology improves situational awareness and provides crews with timely information to avoid entering Vortex Ring State, enabling preventive action as well as effective recovery if required.
The system includes a rate-of-descent warning and cautionary limits shown on the Vertical Speed Indicator; a visual alert flag in the primary pilot field of views; and an associated aural audible alert.
Why the Leonardo Innovation Award matters
“The Innovation Award represents, year after year, a cornerstone in fostering the continuous improvement of products, services, and technologies. This path of growth is today reflected in the strategic role of V-TOL platforms — from helicopters to fast rotorcraft and remotely piloted systems — which contribute in a concrete way to the well-being of society by ensuring essential services to citizens and strengthening social and environmental security. Innovation, in this sense, is not merely a goal, but a constant commitment to delivering solutions that address the challenges of a world in continuous evolution. At the same time, the contest stands as a valuable instrument to recognise and celebrate the commitment and the attitude to innovate demonstrated by Leonardo Helicopters’ employees.” — Mattia Cavanna, Head of Technology & Innovation
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