From 2021 to 2022

2021 was an important year for AOS. This despite the pandemic, which we all hoped would end in the summer of 2021!

Direct contact is essential for those who, like us in AOS, carry out consultancy, support and guidance activities; due to the pandemic, we have been forced to postpone almost all in-person meetings and travel!

However, the availability and flexibility of all of us in AOS has allowed us to continue to carry out our work with all the VTC systems available, sometimes even carrying out three videoconferences / meetings on the same day, or even in the same afternoon.

We have participated in a dozen NATO/EU studies, we have contributed to the NATO / EU / EDA / MoDs Thematic Working Groups, we have participated, as speakers, at various international events.

We have given our support to some European companies for the preparation of the offers … and one of our supported start-ups has received an award in the NATO Innovation Challenge.

But that is not all,

in 2020 we also had an interesting Horizon 2020 experience; in 2021 we participated in some important proposals: among others we recall that for the Region of Sicily (monitoring and simulation of the volcanic eruptions of Etna) together with the University of Messina; within the Horizon Europe Program we presented, as prime contractor, two proposals for the control of European borders which saw us involve more than 50 European Companies and Administrations; and, recently, we participated in a proposal for the European Defense Fund dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises for the study, simulation and evaluation of hybrid systems and the use of alternative energies for naval systems.

Our team has also grown with the association of new advisors from both the industrial and administrative world and, finally, we have expanded our headquarters in Brussels which also gives us the opportunity to host meetings and organize workshops.

This in summary what we did in 2021, the year of the “smart-working”.

Next year, 2022, will certainly be better, both for the possibility of being able to travel – we hope – and for the mix of activities that we are going to carry out: not only consultancy, but also operations and project management. We are also discussing some cooperation agreements with foreign companies interested in opening a “front” in Europe.

“Knowledge is wealth that multiplies only if given.” is our motto, and we will always try to progress and share.

Hoping to continue to receive your support and consent, I would like to conclude by sending you, on behalf of all my colleagues in the AOS, my best wishes for the coming Christmas period and my best wishes for health and fruitful experiences for the coming year for you and for your families.

Gustavo