Press release: Ploughshare and Leonardo create partnership to establish Intellectual Property commercialisation engine

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Published 22nd September 26

Ploughshare and Leonardo create partnership to establish Intellectual Property commercialisation engine

Accelerating defence-borne IP into wider civilian use

Porton Down, Wiltshire, 22 September 2026.  Ploughshare and Leonardo UK Ltd have today announced their partnership to co-create an IP commercialisation engine for Leonardo. The goal is to accelerate the commercialisation of Leonardo UK Ltd’s defence-borne intellectual property which has potential beyond defence into wider civilian application.

The announcement comes after an MOU was signed between Ploughshare’s CEO Hetti-Barkworth-Nanton and Professor Simon Harwood, UK Capability Development Director for Leonardo. Ploughshare has been the Ministry of Defence’s trusted commercialisation partner for over 20 years.

Ploughshare will be working in collaboration with Leonardo to see how it can accelerate its rich history of technological development into civilian, societal and business benefits.  The partnership will build an engine to focus on uncovering hidden value and untapped IP within Leonardo UK Ltd; prioritise the innovations with the most potential; and ultimately to turn validated IP into revenue by putting them on the market and help launch disruptive ideas and innovations into new ventures.

Screenshot 2026 09 21 at 13.12.40

Professor Simon Harwood, UK Capability Development Director for Leonardo, said:

“We welcome the signing of this Intellectual Property commercialisation agreement with Ploughshare, which represents an important opportunity for Leonardo. Leonardo UK Ltd invests more than half a billion pounds in research and development each year, building extensive expertise and proprietary capabilities across electro-optics, antenna design, sensors, communications, cyber security, composite materials, autonomous systems and many other fields. These advanced technologies have the potential to deliver benefits far beyond defence.

At a time of increased defence investment and rapid technological progress, this agreement, alongside our involvement in the Technology and Growth Alliance, will help accelerate the transfer of research and development into tangible benefits for UK industry, the economy and consumers.”

Credit: Leonardo

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton adds:

“We’re delighted to have created this partnership with Leonardo UK Ltd. In co-creating an IP commercialisation engine alongside Leonardo, one of the biggest players in the defence world, we are taking a huge step forward in unearthing and developing some of the most dynamic IP in the world.  Their membership of The TAG Alliance, and this new partnership with us to accelerate and commercialise technologies and IP beyond defence into civilian application, demonstrate two things clearly.

“The first is Leonardo’s commitment to ensure their work makes real impact beyond defence, benefiting people, communities and businesses across the UK.  Secondly, it showcases how important dual-use technology and accelerating innovation is across the UK today.  We and Leonardo are here to support the UK as an “innovation nation” as part of a Team UK approach to boost our economy and underpin growth.”

Hetti 6

Leonardo UK Ltd is also a founding member of The Technology And Growth Alliance (now 19-members strong).  The Alliance was convened by Ploughshare as a movement to unlock the full value of defence innovation, translating it into growth and impact for the UK, by extending proven capability and bringing forward IP that has yet to realise its potential, and connecting it to new applications, new partners and new markets.  TAG was announced in September 2025 and went live in August 2026

ENDS

For more information, please contact The Alligator Pi Agency (the new PR agency for Ploughshare):

Editors Notes:

Ploughshare

Ploughshare was established in 2005 as the MoD’s trusted commercialisation partner and technology transfer experts. They have brought over 140 technologies to the market and created 16 spin-out companies. Ploughshare has exclusive access to the UK government’s defence Intellectual Property (IP), and we have built capability at the intersection of public and private sectors. Ploughshare works with a wide range of partners to unlock new and innovative ideas to benefit national security, cyber security, people’s lives, and the planet.

Leonardo

Leonardo is an international industrial group that develops multi-domain technological capabilities for global security. A key player in the major strategic programmes  in Aerospace, Defence and Security, it employs over 62,000 people worldwide and operates in the Electronics, Helicopters, Aircraft, Cyber & Security and Space  sectors. The company has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and the United States, and is active in 150 countries also through  subsidiaries, joint ventures and investees. Leonardo is a technological and industrial partner to Governments, Defence Administrations, Institutions and businesses.

Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2025 Leonardo recorded new orders of €23.8 billion, an order backlog of €46.6 billion and consolidated revenues of €19.5 billion. Included in the MIB ESG Index, the company has also been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010.

Visit Leonardo’s website here

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