Atlantic Organization for Security (AOS)

"Knowledge is wealth that multiplies only if given away."

SDIA Naples

by · June 18, 2016

SDIA NAPLES

Napoli, June 17 – under the AFCEA and AOS sponsorship, and hosted by the LUPT, the “Small Defence Industrial Alliance, an internationalization opportunity” workshop has seen local SMEs and Academia Departments gathering to discuss the possibility with a bottom-up approach, to enlarge their activities into the international markets.

Both EU and military International Organizations (EDA & NATO) insistently stress the importance of the SME capabilities and demand to make more efforts to outreach new companies with new ideas.

Despite good will, raising of awareness and improvement of mutual understanding, the specific mechanisms and the setting up of Task Forces to explore different policy options have not always given the desired results.

In the defence sector to date, the participation to international competitions by small and medium-sized enterprises, research centres and universities is made difficult by several factors.

  1. General (aus) Dario Nicolella, President AFCEA Naples Chapter, welcomed the attendees and, explained how this process falls within the AFCEA institutional framework.

Prof. William Trupiano, Director of the Center R. d’Ambrosio-Lupt and Prof. Leopoldo Angrisani, Vice-Chairman and Chief CeRITT Lupt n their introductory remarks illustrated the LUPT successful model which has become a recognised European centre of excellence for research within the EU framework (Europe Direct). Nationally and EU funded the associated University Departments conduct their research in an open fashion where synergies with partners are exploited to the maximum extent.

SDIA – Gustavo Scotti di Uccio (AOS) explained – has been established to give SMEs voice visibility and capacity of representation in the domains of Defence & Security Systems and Dual Use. SDIA, that today is also in contact with similar SMEs associations in other EU countries, was created to overcome the logic of the ritual of assembly and subcontracting, to balance the representation of SMEs in a framework that justifies their real contribution, with a light, small, transparent and efficient organization.

The individual SMEs/Academia presentations that followed gave the opportunity to the participants to share experiences and to illustrate their activities.

AOS representatives, all having extensive international experience thanks to their work and appointment in Defence Industries and Institutional/Government Organisation highlighted the countless possibilities of the international defence arena on the basis that:

  • the activities described could be already included in programs and accomplishments that are part of the roadmap of existing international organizations in Brussels
  • some of the innovative proposals could be the subject of presentations specifically in certain international fora and be harbingers of further agreements and cooperation.

As a result of the workshop SDIA was unanimously recognized a brand new instrumental tool in the SMEs/Academia domain able to overcome the perverse logic of the ritual of subcontracting and capable to rebalance the representation of small businesses in a framework that would recognize their concrete contribution in International context.

SDIA, was commonly agreed, represents a viable new subject capable of greatly improving the dialogue with the institutions, and the political and social forces.

In the logic of transparency, the participating Companies/Organizations agreed to publish the presentations given at the workshop.

 

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