Leonardo, Vitrociset and the University of Palermo work together to conserve the Eleonora's falcon on the island of Lampedusa

Today Leonardo, Vitrociset and the University of Palermo's Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies signed a multi-year agreement to monitor the population of Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) birds inhabiting Lampedusa island.

Rome 22 January 2019

Leonardo and its partners will help maintain the local ecology of Lampedusa to protect the habitat of the vulnerable Eleonora’s falcon, following the installation of an air defence radar on the island

The research project will monitor the population of the bird-of-prey for two years, including using satellite transmitters to follow individual birds. Guidelines will be developed outlining how to best conserve the species and a field data collection will be generated which will include valuable new information and photos

Leonardo promotes environmental protection in all of the areas in which it operates, considering ecological issues as an intrinsic part of doing business

Today Leonardo, Vitrociset and the University of Palermo’s Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies signed a multi-year agreement to monitor the population of Eleonora’s falcon (Falco eleonorae) birds inhabiting Lampedusa island. The agreement, which was signed at the Italian Ministry of Defence’s TELEDIFE (Telematics and Advanced Technologies Department), will meet the needs of local authorities in Regione Sicilia and Legambiente to assess the environmental impact of the Fixed Air Defence Radar which was installed by Leonardo and is due for testing in February 2019. The research programme will help to maintain the local ecology of Lampedusa to protect the habitat of the Eleonora’s falcon.

The agreement was signed by Lorenzo Mariani, Leonardo's Chief Commercial Officer, Paolo Solferino, CEO of Vitrociset, and Prof. Silvestre Buscemi, of the University of Palermo. The signing was witnessed by TELEDIFE’s director Admiral Giuseppe Abbamonte.

Funded by Leonardo and Vitrociset and led by researchers from the University of Palermo, the Eleonora’s falcon research project will monitor a range of factors relating to the species over two years, including the movements of individual birds via satellite transmitters. The final report will include guidelines outlining how to best conserve the birds and a database of valuable new information and photos collected during the project.

Leonardo promotes environmental protection everywhere it operates, considering ecological issues as an intrinsic part of doing business. By doing so, the Company contributes to stable and sustainable economic and social development around the world.