**London**: Leonardo has launched the SME Collaboration Partner Programme with Form1 to establish long-term partnerships with SMEs in the defence sector, aiming to drive innovation and economic growth while enhancing sustainable capabilities within the industry.
Leonardo has launched a new initiative in collaboration with the UK-based company Form1, aimed at fostering partnerships with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the defence and security sector. This new programme, known as the SME Collaboration Partner Programme, seeks to drive innovation and economic growth within this industry.
The programme intends to establish a select number of long-term partnerships with SMEs, focusing on delivering tailored support that aligns closely with Leonardo’s business objectives in the UK. Simon Harwood, Capability Director at Leonardo, highlighted the initiative’s emphasis on creating sustainable partnerships rather than engaging in short-term arrangements that offer limited benefits. Speaking to Army Technology, Harwood stated, “Our goal is to develop new capabilities, and go to market in partnership with SME partners, ensuring sustainable commercial success and benefits often not realised from purely transactional supplier relationships.”
The SME Collaboration Partner Programme is designed to achieve two main strategic goals. Firstly, it aims to generate commercial advantages for the partnering SMEs as well as for Leonardo, which may lead to increased work orders, job creation, and overall growth in the sector. Secondly, the collaboration is expected to provide a credible and effective sovereign capability within the defence and security marketplace.
John Downes, co-CEO of Form1, reiterated the importance of building partnerships based on strong interpersonal relationships rather than solely on contractual agreements. “At Form1, we believe that successful partnerships are built on people and the right behaviours, not just contracts,” Downes said. He further noted that Leonardo has demonstrated a genuine commitment to practical support for SMEs that holds substantial commercial value.
The initiative will be steered by a specialised team from both Leonardo and Form1, who will work to develop innovative capabilities that can be successfully introduced into the market, moving beyond mere transactional supplier dynamics.
In a related development, in February 2025, Leonardo DRS was awarded a contract exceeding $7 million to enhance the command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence systems for the Royal Thailand Army’s new Stryker combat vehicles. This contract was awarded through the US Army as part of the Government Grant Assistance programme, highlighting Leonardo’s ongoing engagements in international defence collaboration.
The SME Collaboration Partner Programme represents a significant step towards strengthening the UK’s defence capabilities through collaborative innovation and strategic partnerships with SMEs, fostering a more robust and responsive defence technology sector.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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