MBDA Italia, a 2024 of successes and a better 2025
At the yearly press conference, Giovanni Soccodato, Managing Director of MBDA Italia, briefed a large group of media representatives about the present company’s activities and outlook. 2024 was a decisive year for MBDA in Italia, marked by important industrial and commercial successes, consolidating a robust framework and a continuing expansion that reflects the acceleration of defence programmes in a changing and constantly evolving geopolitical context.
Soccodato underlined that the everyday changing situation of the present time impacts on the missile system sector market, which grew more than expected and at the end of 2024 it stood at 91 billion Euro, tripling compared to the historical volumes of the pre-Ukraine war period.
Despite a challenging and uncertain landscape, the group expanded the activities with several promising customers and partners but continues to face a tough competition from new players, in Asia and Middle East (e.g. Korea, Turkiye, Israel). MBDA in Italia consolidated its presence on the market and expanded its leading role; Soccodato stressed the added values of the group, a European firm that can work without being undermined by the limitations that other firms may face for the access to technology and materiel.
He stressed the value of an industrial architecture which collects the best cooperation in terms of technology and innovation in defence between Italy, France, UK, Germany and other European partners.
Last year results and outlook for the current one
In 2024, MBDA Italia recorded excellent results, with the order portfolio exceeding 6 billion euros. Soccodato called the attention on the orders increase; in fact, compared to previous years, the increase is significant: in 2019, orders for MBDA in Italy were just over 200 million, while in 2024 those have reached about 3 billion Euro, with a vertical growth in between. The growth is also in the amount of the production; in 2024 MBDA group increased the production by 33% and aims to doubling it in the current year.
MBDA in Italia prospects for 2025 are equally ambitious, with the aim of consolidating order volumes above 2 billion Euro, with a continuous growth of the order portfolio and a progressive expansion of exports.
This outlook impacts, the Managing Director said, also in the architecture of the Group, committed in the reinforcement of staffing (in 2024 400 new personnel were already added, all highly qualified, and in 2025 300 more are planned). Significant improvements and investments in the plants of Spezia, Aulla, Noceto and Fusaro and the central offices in Rome as well are also planned.
Looking to the future, Mr. Soccodato clearly indicated that the challenges are even bigger than present ones, quoting for example the contract for the Polish air defence system, based on the CAMM-ER. Another significant point, for the future perspectives in scientific, industrial, and commercial terms is the programme of the FC/ASW, as a symbol for the future developments of a leading firm of defence, and security for the air and space.
Photo courtesy MBDA Italia