Enel and Leonardo partnership: How Italy’s energy and defence giants plan to strengthen industrial security and innovation.
Enel CEO Flavio Cattaneo (L) and Leonardo CEO Lorenzo Mariani.
ENEL-Leonardo Partnership: Italy’s energy and defence industries are moving closer together as two of the country’s biggest industrial companies seek to develop new solutions for energy security, digitalisation, infrastructure protection and technological innovation.
Enel and Leonardo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening their strategic collaboration and exploring opportunities to combine their technological and industrial expertise. Announced in Rome on 9 November 2026, the agreement brings together Enel’s experience in electricity generation, energy distribution and management with Leonardo’s capabilities in aerospace, defence, security and advanced digital technologies.
The partnership reflects a growing recognition that energy infrastructure, digital systems and national security are increasingly interconnected. Businesses and governments face mounting pressure to ensure reliable energy supplies, protect critical infrastructure against emerging threats and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable industrial operations.
But what exactly does the agreement involve, why are Enel and Leonardo working together, and how could their collaboration benefit Italy’s industrial economy?
What is the Enel and Leonardo agreement?
The agreement is based on a Memorandum of Understanding, which establishes a framework for cooperation between the two companies.
Rather than committing immediately to a specific commercial project, the MoU identifies areas in which Enel and Leonardo can explore joint initiatives, develop innovative technologies and assess potential business opportunities.
The central objective is to combine their respective capabilities to address the changing requirements of Italian businesses, particularly in energy flexibility, infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity, efficiency and sustainability.
Enel Chief Executive Flavio Cattaneo and Leonardo Chief Executive Lorenzo Mariani signed the agreement, reinforcing an existing relationship between two major players in Italy’s industrial landscape.
The companies believe that closer cooperation could help develop integrated solutions for customers that increasingly need reliable energy systems alongside sophisticated digital and security services.
An important feature of the agreement is its focus on commercial applications. The intention is not simply to exchange technological expertise but to identify solutions that can be used by businesses and industrial customers.
The MoU could eventually lead to additional binding agreements, depending on the initiatives selected and the applicable regulatory requirements.
Why are energy and security becoming increasingly connected?
Energy security has traditionally focused on ensuring that countries have sufficient electricity and fuel supplies to meet demand. However, the definition has expanded considerably.
Modern energy infrastructure depends on interconnected networks, digital monitoring systems, automated controls, telecommunications and complex data-management platforms.
This creates new opportunities for efficiency, but it also introduces additional vulnerabilities.
Power stations, electricity grids, distribution networks and industrial facilities are increasingly dependent on digital technologies. Disruptions to these systems can have consequences that extend far beyond the energy sector.
Cybersecurity has therefore become an essential part of infrastructure protection.
This is where Leonardo’s expertise could complement Enel’s operations. Leonardo develops technologies and systems for defence, security, digital protection and critical infrastructure monitoring.
By combining these capabilities with Enel’s experience in managing energy infrastructure, the companies aim to explore solutions that address both physical and digital security requirements.
For Italy, this cooperation is particularly relevant because energy infrastructure supports virtually every part of the national economy, from manufacturing and transport to telecommunications and public services.
Leonardo’s AW-149 military helicopter.
How could Leonardo’s technology support Enel?
One of the main opportunities identified in the MoU concerns the application of Leonardo’s security and digital technologies to energy infrastructure.
Leonardo has capabilities in areas including cybersecurity, satellite communications, digitalisation and advanced monitoring systems.
These technologies could help support the assessment and protection of strategic infrastructure, where maintaining operational continuity is essential.
Satellite technology is another area of potential cooperation.
Satellite-based systems can provide valuable information for monitoring large geographical areas and assessing changes in infrastructure and surrounding environments.
For energy companies, this type of information could support infrastructure analysis, monitoring activities and the management of geographically dispersed assets.
The agreement also identifies opportunities to explore digital solutions that could improve the resilience and efficiency of energy operations.
However, the companies have not yet announced specific projects, investment commitments or technical deployment schedules. The MoU establishes areas for potential cooperation rather than confirming that particular systems will be introduced.
How could Enel support Leonardo’s energy requirements?
The partnership also works in the opposite direction.
Leonardo operates industrial facilities and complex production activities that require reliable energy supplies. Its operations also face growing pressure to improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impacts and strengthen the resilience of their energy systems.
Enel could contribute its experience in electricity supply, energy management, energy efficiency and sustainable mobility.
One potential area is the development of value-added energy products and services tailored to Leonardo’s industrial requirements.
These could include solutions designed to improve how facilities manage electricity consumption, respond to changes in energy demand and make better use of available energy resources.
Energy self-generation is another area identified in the agreement.
For industrial companies, generating part of their own electricity can provide greater control over energy costs and reduce exposure to fluctuations in external energy markets.
Renewable energy installations and associated energy-management technologies can also contribute to sustainability objectives.
The MoU suggests that Enel and Leonardo will assess opportunities to develop solutions that combine energy supply with wider industrial services.
Energy flexibility: Why it matters for Italian businesses
Energy flexibility is becoming an increasingly important issue for companies operating in competitive industrial markets.
It refers to the ability of an organisation to adapt its energy consumption, generation or storage in response to changing demand, prices and network conditions.
For manufacturers, energy flexibility can help improve operational efficiency and manage electricity costs.
A factory, for example, may be able to adjust certain energy-intensive activities according to electricity availability or market conditions without affecting its overall production targets.
Energy storage, smart energy-management systems and on-site renewable generation can also contribute to more flexible operations.
The collaboration between Enel and Leonardo could help identify integrated solutions that combine these technologies with digital monitoring and security capabilities.
This is particularly important for energy-intensive industries, where electricity costs and supply reliability can directly influence production costs and international competitiveness.
By exploring solutions that address energy management and infrastructure security together, the companies are targeting a wider range of industrial requirements.
Sustainable mobility and industrial decarbonisation
Sustainability is another important component of the partnership.
The MoU identifies sustainable mobility as a potential area of cooperation, particularly in relation to Leonardo’s operational requirements.
Businesses are increasingly looking for ways to reduce emissions associated with company vehicles, employee transport and logistics operations.
Electric mobility, charging infrastructure and integrated energy-management services can help organisations move towards lower-emission transport systems.
Enel’s experience in energy services and sustainable mobility could therefore complement Leonardo’s industrial requirements.
The agreement also identifies industrial sustainability as a broader area of interest.
For large industrial groups, reducing environmental impact involves more than switching to renewable electricity. It can include improving energy efficiency, optimising production processes, reducing waste and adopting more effective resource-management systems.
Combining Enel’s energy expertise with Leonardo’s technological capabilities could create opportunities to develop solutions that support these objectives.
The potential benefits extend beyond the two companies if the resulting technologies and services can be offered to other industrial customers.
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Leonardo’s C-27J Spartan Transport Aircraft.
Why the partnership matters for Italy’s industrial competitiveness
The agreement has significance beyond the commercial interests of Enel and Leonardo.
Both companies occupy important positions in sectors that are strategically relevant to Italy’s economy.
Enel is a major energy group, while Leonardo is an internationally recognised aerospace, defence and security company.
Their cooperation reflects an industrial strategy in which major domestic companies increasingly work together to develop technologies and services that can strengthen national capabilities.
Italy’s manufacturing sector faces several interconnected challenges, including high energy costs, international competition, technological change and the need to improve infrastructure resilience.
Smaller and medium-sized businesses are particularly exposed because they may lack the financial resources and specialist expertise required to develop advanced energy-management and cybersecurity systems independently.
Integrated solutions developed by major industrial groups could eventually help make these capabilities more accessible to a wider range of businesses.
The partnership could also support the development of an Italian industrial ecosystem in which energy, digital technology, security and sustainability are treated as interconnected priorities.
This is particularly important as European countries seek to strengthen their technological independence and reduce vulnerabilities in critical supply chains.
Although the MoU establishes a framework for cooperation, it does not mean that all the proposed initiatives will automatically move into commercial development.
The companies will need to assess individual opportunities, determine their technical and financial feasibility and establish the appropriate contractual arrangements.
Any subsequent binding agreements will be subject to applicable laws and regulations, including provisions governing transactions with related parties.
The next stage will therefore involve identifying which areas offer the greatest potential for practical implementation and commercial value.
Satellite-based monitoring, advanced energy management, cybersecurity, industrial sustainability, self-generation and sustainable mobility are among the possibilities identified by the companies.
Ultimately, the Enel-Leonardo partnership reflects a wider transformation in the way strategic industries approach technological development.
Energy infrastructure can no longer be considered separately from digital security, just as industrial competitiveness increasingly depends on reliable energy systems and advanced technologies.
By bringing together their respective expertise, Enel and Leonardo want to explore a model of cooperation that supports both companies while contributing to Italy’s wider industrial development.
Whether the agreement produces major new commercial projects will depend on the initiatives that emerge from the framework. Nevertheless, it represents an important step towards closer cooperation between two of Italy’s most strategically significant industrial groups.
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