EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, and the Federation of Italian Aerospace, Defence and Security Companies (AIAD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Dubai Airshow 2025 to pursue new avenues of industrial cooperation. The signing brought together Eng. Enzo Benigni, Vice Chairman, AIAD, and Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, EDGE. EDGE.
EDGE is currently engaged with several major Italian defence companies, including Fincantieri through an established joint venture in the UAE, as well as strong industrial partnerships with both Leonardo and ELT Group. The group is now seeking to expand this collaboration to include innovative small and medium sized Italian companies. This expansion will support their growth, promote broader technological exchange, and create opportunities for new partnerships that reinforce industrial ties between the UAE and Italy.
The ceremony was witnessed by Vice Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, Italian National Armaments Director and attended by senior dignitaries from the Italian Ministry of Defence, Franco Donfrancesco, Director of Institutional Relations at AIAD, and Rodrigo Torres, Group Chief Financial Officer, EDGE. It underscores the growing engagement between the two sides across advanced industrial and defence spheres.
About EDGE
Launched in November 2019, the UAE’s EDGE is one of the world’s leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly-skilled talent to thrive.
With a focus on the adoption of 4IR technologies, EDGE is driving the development of sovereign capabilities for global export and for the preservation of national security, working with front-line operators, international partners, and adopting advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials. EDGE converges R&D, emerging technologies, digital transformation, and commercial market innovations with military capabilities to develop disruptive solutions tailored to the specific requirements of its customers. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, EDGE consolidates more than 35 entities into five core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Space & Cyber Technologies, Technologies & Industrialisation, and Homeland Security.
For more information, visit edgegroupuae.com
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