The competition was dedicated to young innovators. The Leonardo Innovation Award will be attended by students, graduates and doctorates of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) faculties of all Italian universities.
This initiative aims to support the creativity and innovation of new generations that want to transform the ideas of the present into future technologies.
The CEO of "Leonardo" Alessandro Profumo said: "Leonardo is the country's biggest technology and innovation forge. In order to progress on the frontier of innovation we need the right people, the right skills to meet the challenges that await us in the coming years and to value the talents of the new generations. The Leonardo Innovation Award is an opportunity to bring young people, the company and the academic world closer together and draw inspiration for the challenges of the future ".
Young participants will be able to present their projects in three different business areas:
- Image intelligence. The use of "Advanced Image Recognition" technologies provides new solutions based on images produced by sensors and heterogeneous platforms ranging from optical to infrared imaging, from LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, the remote sensing technique that allows to determine the distance of an object or surface using a laser pulse) to SAR Radars (Synthetic Aperture Radar, the microwave radar remote sensing system). The innovative process of these technologies and image analysis algorithms, both in real time and in terms of "change detection", is fueling the development of applications in different fields, from security (scenario analysis, behavioral analysis, face recognition) , the monitoring of the territory (Precision Farming, management of crises deriving from hydrogeological instability, sustainable development of the agricultural sector, monitoring of fishing and maritime traffic), up to the cognitiveness of autonomous systems (autonomously driven cars, drones, anthropomorphic robots).
- Quantum Technologies for Sensors. As for the quantum technologies for the sensors, the new frontier of the applications of quantum technologies is rapidly expanding in the fields of secure communications (Quantum Cryptography), of the calculation (Quantum Computing) and of the sensors. The sensor application field is the one that most remains unexplored and full of opportunities: from the evolution of radars based on the "microwave quantum illumination", potentially able to identify objects invisible to conventional systems (eg stealth aircraft), to the A measure of gravity that uses ultracold atoms, quantum physics offers innovative perspectives.
- Technologies and innovative solutions for the protection of cultural heritage. Our country holds a huge cultural heritage that must be protected and valued and whose protection can be implemented through the management of all phases of the life cycle: from discovery to mapping, from study to conservation, from the use of the public to protection. In this context it is essential to apply and develop new technologies related to sensors, information processing and storage, as well as solutions for site security and asset protection. This commitment aims to extend Leonardo's contribution to the dissemination of artistic disciplines
For the finalists of each category are expected training sessions in Leonardo, economic awards and the invitation to participate, along with the winners of the similar competition dedicated to Leonardo employees, to the awards ceremony where the top management of the group will be present And representatives of academia and research.
Photo: premioinnovazioneleonardo.com