Corporate Responsibility

Finmeccanica in the UK is committed to the continuous improvement of its business practices, ensuring they are fair and consistent with the core values of innovation, internationalisation, expertise, transparency, quality and sustainability.

All our employees are devoted to maintaining these values and engaging in conscientious and ethical practices. Along with good management, that commitment is crucial in maintaining and widening strong business relations with international markets and other stakeholders.

Finmeccanica’s strategy for maintaining its corporate responsibility framework is built on the six key areas – ethics; health and safety; environment; community and social issues; skills and people; and innovation.

Ethics

Good ethics are fundamental to how Finmeccanica engages in business, and we work hard to promote a culture of principled behaviour. All the UK operating companies have adopted Finmeccanica’s group-wide Code of Ethics, which sets out the responsibilities and obligations that all employees should uphold – loyalty, seriousness, honesty, competence, transparency, and strict compliance with laws and regulations.

There are annual presentations that highlight the importance of ethics, provide clarity on exactly what it means, and illustrate the perils of getting it wrong. An ethics hotline is available to employees, where they can receive confidential advice, while publications are also provided online with answers to frequently asked questions. Finmeccanica UK is also a member of the Institute of Business Ethics, which provides advice, training and education.

Health and Safety

Health and safety is of the utmost importance to Finmeccanica and an integral part of our business. The company has a highly effective occupational health and safety management system that is clearly defined and well documented. Most Finmeccanica operating companies either hold or are working towards ISO OHAS18001, which is an internationally accepted health and safety standard that recognises expertise in risk assessment, operational control and readiness for emergency. Indeed, SELEX Galileo’s Luton site achieved the maximum, five-star rating following a rigorous audit by the British Safety Council.

Environment

Finmeccanica strives constantly to reduce its impact on the environment, and has many active initiatives that promote sustainability. In the UK, five Finmeccanica sites have been given ISO14001 accreditation in recognition of their effective environmental management. The company is committed to the UK government’s Sustainable Procurement agenda and is also part of the Carbon Disclosure Project, which encourages organisations to transparently collaborate and reduce carbon emissions.

Our operating companies also embrace sustainability through a wide range of activities. SELEX Galileo has launched “Green Company”, for example, which aims to revolutionise company operations by minimising waste, using renewable energy sources and better utilising technology.

Community and Social Issues

Finmeccanica is engaged with communities around the world, helping make a difference at a local and national level. Whether it’s getting involved in benevolent activities like charity fundraising, or raising awareness of engineering in local education, Finmeccanica encourages its employees to engage locally and forge strong links. In the UK, Finmeccanica supports many charities, especially those related to the armed forces, and individual operating companies are engaged in numerous initiatives. More about Finmeccanica's supporting of community projects in the UK

Skills and People

The most important resource and driving force behind Finmeccanica is its people. We have more than 10,000 employees in the UK, making us the second largest producer and biggest overseas investor in defence in the UK.

Finmeccanica prides itself on recruiting the very best people, and several of our operating companies run flourishing graduate and apprentice schemes. Indeed, the schemes at AgustaWestland and SELEX Galileo were given glowing Ofsted reports in 2009, with an overall “outstanding” grade. Two Finmeccanica employees also won Apprentice of the Year awards.

Additionally, participation in Finmeccanica apprenticeship schemes can count towards membership and Chartership in the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, or the Institute of Physics.

By instilling the importance of engineering in younger generations, we nurture the talent of tomorrow and help guarantee our future business prosperity. More about Finmeccanica's people and approach to education

Innovation

Finmeccanica is dedicated to driving forward technological, product and process innovation, and typically reinvests 12% of its revenues in research and development. Our annual “Innovation Award” celebrates the wide range of inventive ideas to come from across the group. This commitment has enabled our employees to develop the ground-breaking technologies on which Finmeccanica built its reputation, and the company is culturally geared to the relentless pursuit of improvement and exceeding customer expectations.