My experience with aircraft systems is now supported by management studies. This helps me consider not only technology, but also people, resources, costs and the wider goals of an organisation.
After more than twenty years in aerospace, I chose to study for an Executive MBA to better understand the financial, strategic and organisational aspects of industrial projects. The programme gave me a broader view while keeping my experience with real engineering problems at the centre.
My research compared Airbus, Leonardo and SpaceX to explore different ways of managing innovation, industrial resources and complex programmes. The purpose was to understand the management choices behind technical progress, not simply to compare technologies.
Technical feasibility remains essential, but it is not enough on its own. When I review a new idea, I also consider the need it should meet, the resources it requires, the risks involved and whether the organisation can deliver it successfully.
My research explored these topics by comparing Airbus, Leonardo and SpaceX. The three companies have different structures and ways of working, which made them useful examples for studying strategy, leadership and innovation in aerospace.
My engineering background provides context for discussing development effort, performance and lifecycle cost. The management studies add a framework for comparing options and making assumptions explicit, so the technical rationale can be discussed alongside the investment case.
Working with manufacturers, suppliers and airline teams has shown me how much delivery depends on interfaces between functions. The EMBA and PMP® perspectives reinforce the importance of shared objectives, clear responsibilities and timely decisions across those interfaces.
I consider innovation in terms of both opportunity and implementation. Feasibility, available skills, supplier dependencies and the ability to manage change all influence whether a promising idea can become a workable programme.
Whether the idea concerns a new product, a system improvement or a software tool, I try to consider the technical options together with customer needs, investment, available skills and a realistic delivery plan.
Illustrative rendering · Executive MBA research perspectives
The EMBA research examines how organisational structures, leadership and coordination shape complex aerospace programmes. Technical capability is considered alongside supplier relationships, stakeholder needs and decision processes.
The thesis explores investment appraisal, financial performance and risk as inputs to strategic decisions. Net present value, internal rate of return and payback provide complementary perspectives on long-term industrial choices.
Sustainability is considered alongside governance, human capital and innovation. The focus is on how these dimensions support resilient organisations and long-term value creation.
Airbus, Leonardo and SpaceX provide contrasting perspectives on industrial coordination, programme governance and the pace of innovation.
International industrial coordination, complex supply chains and the relationship between programme performance and long-term strategy.
Governance of complex programmes, stakeholder coordination and the integration of sustainability into an industrial group.
Vertical integration, iterative development and new business models in the space economy, considered alongside organisational and financial risk.
Three different approaches to industrial transformation. These updates extend the thesis with dated public sources; the management perspectives are my interpretation.
A distinctive challenge: align aircraft technology, energy supply and airport infrastructure.
Airbus selected fuel-cell electric propulsion as the focus of ZEROe in 2025. Hydrogen generates electricity for electric motors; this is distinct from burning hydrogen in a gas turbine.
On 7 July 2026, Airbus and MTU announced their intention to form a fuel-cell propulsion joint venture. Operations are expected in 2027, subject to approvals and completion of the stated processes.
Airbus describes current aircraft capability as up to a 50% SAF blend and targets up to 100% SAF capability by 2030. That is a compatibility ambition, not a claim that every flight will use 100% SAF.
Fuel availability and production pathways remain central to lifecycle emissions benefits.
Airbus’ TEST research project addresses cooling systems for the substantial heat rejected by hydrogen fuel cells. Cryogenic storage, heat rejection, power electronics and system mass must be considered together.
This connects directly with the portfolio’s focus on ECS and thermal systems integration.
Technology maturity alone is insufficient. A viable programme also needs coordinated infrastructure investment, certification planning and a credible energy supply chain. A zero-CO₂ propulsion reaction does not establish zero lifecycle climate impact.
Official references: Airbus ZEROe · Airbus–MTU announcement, 7 July 2026 · Airbus SAF · TEST cooling research
A distinctive capability: connect platforms, electronics, cyber and space within complex international programmes.
The March 2026 Industrial Plan update positions cybersecurity, high-performance computing, AI and data as strategic pillars. It emphasises interoperable systems and disciplined capital allocation across the Group.
This extends the thesis discussion of organisational coordination and programme governance.
Leonardo’s published strategy links space capabilities with integrated services and industrial partnerships. The opportunity is to connect technical domains and information across the value chain.
For an engineering leader, the corresponding questions are interface ownership, data quality and integration evidence.
The Transition Plan published on 11 June 2026 brings climate, resource efficiency, circularity and workforce skills into business planning.
Leonardo reports approximately €1.2 billion of planned investment supporting climate transition within its 2026–2030 Industrial Plan. This is an investment allocation, not a completed outcome.
The case illustrates how technological breadth creates value when governance, investment decisions and cross-functional execution remain coherent. Sustainability objectives need accountable actions and measurable evidence.
Official references: Leonardo Industrial Plan · Industrial Plan update, 12 March 2026 · Transition Plan, 11 June 2026
A distinctive model: vertically integrated development, iterative flight testing and a link between launch infrastructure and satellite services.
Starship and Super Heavy are being developed toward a fully reusable transport system. SpaceX’s launch listing records Flight 14 on 28 September 2026, following the V3 development campaign.
Full, rapid reuse remains a development objective; an individual test flight does not demonstrate sustained operational turnaround or mature launch economics.
The thesis distinguishes the infrastructure backbone from the wider economy enabled by space. Launch vehicles, spacecraft and ground systems support services such as connectivity, navigation and Earth-observation applications.
SpaceX links launch capability with its Starlink service business. ESA’s 2026 Space Economy Report likewise examines upstream and downstream activity.
The analysis considers how payload capacity, launch cadence, reliability and reuse costs could affect the economics of satellite deployment and replenishment.
Value also depends on customer demand, usable capacity, regulation and orbital sustainability. Lower launch cost alone does not guarantee a profitable service.
Iterative learning can shorten feedback cycles, but the investment case still depends on repeatable operations, manageable risk and demand. Starship’s intended capability and its demonstrated operating record should remain separate in any business assessment.
Primary references: SpaceX Starship · SpaceX launch record · ESA Space Economy Report 2026
Executive Master of Business Administration — Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi.
Author: Francesco Rondinelli · Supervisor: Alessio Gambino.
A qualitative, comparative study combining management literature, company annual and sustainability reports, and perspectives informed by aerospace experience. These are academic case studies, not statements of employment or consultancy for the companies analysed.
The central conclusion: effective management connects technology, finance, governance and sustainability, with an organisational approach suited to the context.