Leonardo and the military industry in 19 schools in Rome. The BDS dossier

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Quale ruolo svolgono oggi le imprese dell’industria militare nella formazione delle nuove generazioni? In che modo orientamento, percorsi STEM, innovazione tecnologica, cybersecurity e Formazione Scuola Lavoro contribuiscono a costruire consenso attorno al settore della difesa? Sono alcune delle domande da cui prende avvio Leonardo's School, the new research published by BDS Rome as part of the BDS Movement's international campaign for a military embargo against Israel.

Al centro dell’indagine c’è proprio il ruolo di Leonardo SpA, principale azienda italiana dell’aerospazio, della difesa e della sicurezza, controllata al 30% dal Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze. La scelta di concentrarsi su questa impresa, spiega BDS Roma nel rapporto, nasce dal ruolo che essa occupa nel complesso militare-industriale internazionale e dalle relazioni commerciali e strategiche che intrattiene con Israele.

The inquiry places such relationships within the profound transformations that have affected the education system in recent decades. Corporatisation of schools, Partnership Public-private partnerships, the centrality of employability, and the growing subordination of education to market demands form the landscape on which the presence of defence companies in educational spaces is developing.

Militarised education

In questo contesto emerge il concetto di militarizzazione dell’educazione: un processo attraverso il quale soggetti appartenenti al comparto militare-industriale partecipano alla definizione dei contenuti formativi, degli immaginari professionali e delle competenze considerate strategiche. Nel dossier si introduce inoltre la nozione di israelizzazione dei sistemi educativi per descrivere il consolidamento di legami tra istruzione, tecnologie della sicurezza e del controllo sociale, apparati militari e produzione del consenso in una fase storica segnata dal regime di guerra globale e del genocidio.

Nineteen schools in the Metropolitan City

To reconstruct the dissemination of these collaborations, the institutional websites of all state secondary schools in the Metropolitan City of Rome were analysed. Of the 125 institutions examined, 19 show documentary evidence of links with Leonardo.
The identified activities include School-Work Training pathways, professional guidance, STEM initiatives, scientific outreach, and programmes dedicated to so-called “professions of the future”. Among the most widespread projects is Flying with Leonardo, carried out in numerous institutions in the Roman and provincial territory. Through activities dedicated to aerospace, technological innovation and digital skills, the programme connects students with the company's professional world and its related production sectors.

Il caso del Liceo Digitale del Matteucci

The most significant example identified by the research concerns IIS Carlo Matteucci in Rome. Since 2022, the institute has been home to the Liceo Digitale (Digital High School), developed in collaboration with Leonardo SpA and Fondazione Leonardo ETS. The partnership involves the company's participation throughout the entire five-year school period and directly impacts the design of the educational pathway.

Over the two-year period, topics such as artificial intelligence, programming, machine learning, deep learning, and robotics are covered with the participation of experts from the company. In the following years, the course continues through internships and work-study activities at the company, integrated into the structure of the course itself. The Matteucci case shows a form of collaboration that goes beyond the model of occasional encounters between school and business, and translates into a stable presence of the military industry within the school curriculum.

Professional training and cybersecurity

Una dinamica analoga emerge nel settore della formazione professionale. A partire da un accordo con Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Leonardo ha contribuito alla progettazione di un corso triennale gratuito per Operatore informatico in ambiente Cybersecurity presso il Centro Metropolitano di Formazione Professionale di Acilia. Rivolto a ragazze e ragazzi tra i 14 e i 17 anni, il percorso combina attività teoriche, laboratori specialistici e periodi di stage presso l’azienda. La cybersecurity occupa un posto sempre più rilevante nelle strategie educative promosse dal settore della “difesa”. Presentata come una delle competenze chiave del futuro mercato del lavoro, diventa al tempo stesso uno dei principali canali attraverso cui l’industria militare rafforza la propria presenza nei percorsi formativi.

Networks connecting schools and businesses

Documented collaborations are not limited to individual school projects. A significant part of the relationship between Leonardo and the education sector is channelled through intermediate bodies and educational networks that operate on a stable basis in the field of training (for example, ITS Academy). Among these is the ELIS Consortium, of which the company is a structural member. Through this participation, Leonardo contributes to guidance programmes, STEM initiatives, courses for students and teachers, and projects such as School4Life, dedicated to combating school drop-out. More than a simple sum of isolated activities, this builds an ecosystem in which large private companies participate in defining training priorities and professional models offered to new generations.

Innovation, STEM and consensus building

A central chapter of the research is dedicated to the Leonardo Foundation and the collection of cultural, scientific, and educational initiatives promoted by the company. Awards, STEM events, outreach activities, school programmes, and pathways focused on future professions are interpreted as tools for building consensus and strengthening the company's public reputation. Through these activities, the company presents itself as a protagonist in innovation, research, and technological development. The result is a profound disconnect between the company's public image and the reality of its business: a leading role in the production of armaments and military technologies, activities that not only generate a significant portion of profits but also make it complicit in the devastating humanitarian consequences of conflicts, even reaching accusations of complicity in genocide. This is a classic social washing operation aimed at redefining public perception of the brand.

Who controls student data?

Leonardo's presence in the education system is not limited to its training activities. A further level of analysis concerns the company's role in the Italian state's strategic digital infrastructure. The research indeed recalls Leonardo's participation in the consortium managing the National Strategic Hub, the infrastructure responsible for hosting and managing a significant portion of the Public Administration's digital data and services. Among the systems involved in the migration to the National Strategic Hub are databases concerning the education sector, including the National Register of Education. This fact, which emerged during the investigation, raises issues of a different nature. Leonardo manages the infrastructure hosting this information, although without direct access to it. However, various specialists highlight the critical issues that can arise in systems of this type, especially during software updates. The issue thus takes on a political dimension, affecting the governance of public data and the relationship between democratic institutions and large industrial groups.

From research to political action

Le pagine finali si spostano dal terreno dell’analisi a quello della mobilitazione. Popolazione studentesca, docenti, famiglie, organizzazioni sindacali, collettivi antimilitaristi e reti di solidarietà con la Palestina sono i possibili soggetti di una campagna volta a interrompere le collaborazioni tra istituzioni educative e industria militare. La posta in gioco, si afferma nel dossier, va oltre il caso di Leonardo o delle scuole romane. Il confronto investe il rapporto tra educazione pubblica, produzione della violenza, tecnologie della sicurezza e del controllo sociale e costruzione delle soggettività. In questa prospettiva, il boicottaggio delle imprese della “difesa” nei contesti educativi viene proposto come uno strumento di opposizione alla normalizzazione del genocidio, della guerra e della militarizzazione dell’istruzione.

Download the BDS Rome dossier

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PHOTO CREDITS: Dario Morgante