ROME, April 29 (Reuters) - Italy and France on Monday

signed a letter of intent to create a joint industrial hub for

ground defence involving companies from both countries, an

Italian defence ministry statement said, looking to boost the

European defence industry.

The announcement came after a meeting in the Mediterranean

island of Corsica between defence ministers Guido Crosetto and

Sebastien Lecornu, who also discussed the situations in the

Middle East and Ukraine.

"It is crucial to bring together all the best European

technologies and to make ever-stronger hubs, because we will

need significant investment to keep up with technological

evolution," Crosetto said.

The statement from his office said the programme would aim

to "strengthen industrial cooperation and Europe's defence

capabilities through the joint development of new land

platforms."

The plan will add to other cooperation initiatives involving

French and Italian companies.

Italy's main defence conglomerate Leonardo has

already teamed up with France's Thales through two

separate joint ventures, satellite services company Telespazio

and space manufacturer Thales Alenia Space.

"The strategic alliance will enable the implementation of

collaborative programmes between European nations through the

strengthening of industrial bases and the development of the

future generation of platforms," the Italian statement said,

mentioning a planned next-generation tank known as the Main

Ground Combat System (MGCS).