Over Half a Century of Excellence and Innovation in the High-Tech Sector

Intecs represents a significant chapter in the history of Italian innovation, a narrative that spans over fifty years, embodying the values of resilience and technological advancement of Made in Italy. Founded on February 22, 1974, by Emilio Rossi, former Captain of the Italian Navy, Intecs began its operations in the Rome area now known as Tiburtina Valley. Alongside the founder, Austrian engineer Leslie Von Neumann, in the role of technical director, guided the newly established company toward the development of electronic systems with embedded software for naval and land defense, a highly innovative sector at the time. Over time, Intecs expanded its expertise to avionics systems and air and naval traffic control, operating in both the civil and military sectors. Key moments of this expansion include the opening of the Naples office in 1978 and the Pisa office in 1983, strengthening the company’s national presence. 1986 marked a turning point: Stefano Ciarrocca, former director of the software division at ESA (European Space Agency), took over the company’s leadership. During this period, collaboration with MATRA Marconi Space in Toulouse projected Intecs onto the European space scene, contributing to globally significant projects such as the International Space Station and the Rosetta, Ariane 5, Hermes, and Helios missions. In subsequent years, Matra Marconi (now Airbus) acquired a minority stake in Intecs’ share capital. Despite the difficulties related to the crisis in the space and defense sectors, under the leadership of Massimo Micangeli, who took over the company on behalf of the ownership, Intecs responded positively by expanding its activities into new markets, including rail and automotive. In the early 1990s, the company developed a strong relationship with Ansaldo STS (now Hitachi Rail) on electronic systems for train operation and safety control, consolidating a collaboration that continues today with key projects such as SCMT, ERTMS, and High-Speed Rail. Intecs played a crucial role in the development of the fully driverless Copenhagen metro and the autonomous freight trains of Rio Tinto in Australia. Toward the late 1990s, Actia, a Paris Stock Exchange-listed company active in the automotive sector, acquired Airbus’ stake, and Intecs entered the automotive market through initial collaborations with Magneti Marelli, followed by FIAT and other major clients such as Iveco, Brembo, Ferrari, Maserati, Metasystem, Magna, Johnson Electric, and Denso. With the arrival of the new CEO, Massimo Mannori, the company became a key player in international consortia such as AUTOSAR and Automotive SPICE, solidifying its role in the sector. Thanks to collaboration with research institutes and universities, Intecs stood out for its pioneering adoption in Italy of the Ada language for defense and the development of innovative tools such as HoodNICE for object-oriented software design, later used by dozens of European aerospace companies. The company also designed and developed a hard real-time operating system for the International Space Station, later adapted for high-speed trains, and an obstacle detection system for level crossings, adopted by RFI and installed at hundreds of sites, significantly enhancing railway safety. Today, Intecs is actively engaged in artificial intelligence projects, drone detection, and quantum computing. In addition to its historic offices in Rome, Naples, and Pisa, new locations in Milan and Turin at Talent Garden and OGR Tech have strengthened its connection with Europe’s leading innovation hubs. With Giuseppe Ciongoli as Executive President and the return of Massimo Mannori as General Manager, Intecs, a company always inspired by principles of sustainability and inclusion, confirms its leadership in the national and international high-tech landscape, backed by a history of success and an innovative capability developed over more than fifty years of activity.