The large and qualified panel that meets every year in this marvelous ‘Hall of Tapestries’, as the guests of the Ministry for Economic Development, to which go our heartfelt thanks and appreciation, is a mark of the growing importance of “Space Italy” in the overall Italian economic system.

 

This year we have broadened our outlook by presenting the Paper on “The technologies, projects and perspectives of the Italian Space Economy”, edited by Giovanni Caprara, with contributions by several expert journalists (Bozzoni, Campesato and Di Bernardo), the aim of which is to monitor the development of a sector that is rooted in aerospace technology, but which has numerous industrial applications.

 

This “Paper” is also aimed at encouraging the establishment of a permanent Observatory on the qualitative and quantitative development of the “Space Economy”, in partnership with the employers’ and trade associations, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the government departments concerned.

 

The changed relationship between man and Space – in terms of a highly pervasive and cross-industry habitat and as an idea of “Space Economy” – is a relatively recent conquest, testifying to the evolution of Space from a simple field of research to a fully-fledged economic sector.

And there is now even talk of a “space tourism” industry, which should become a reality by 2010.

Several sectors of the economy are already highly involved in this great technological “leap” forward, among which the space technology applications sector is surely the most emblematic.

This “Space Economy” event was launched in 2003, with the aim of stimulating the institutional debate and monitoring market trends and achievements.

 

Following developments in recent years, Space is increasingly becoming an important added value for both economic growth and national security, with each country knowing how to play a leading role in this sector.

 

This is why we believe that the growth potential and opportunities of the sector deserve the full support of Government, and we are also convinced that it is important to acquaint the broadest possible base of individual and collective users with the potential of space applications and services; indeed, we acknowledge that our country, and Europe as a whole, should take on a primary role in global competition in this field.

 

There are no end of services which Society needs, and which can be “governed” by space technologies, supplemented by ICT and cutting-edge services, and implemented by developing the necessary applications. The most important are:

• civil protection and security,
• the prevention and management of emergency situations,
• land management and “surveying” services and services for agriculture,
• logistics and transport,
• telecoms networks,
• telemedicine, telemetry and remote control,
• corporate networks,
• the protection of the environmental and cultural heritage,
• border and infrastructure security.

 

But the challenge for Space and for spreading space applications is a much broader challenge and each country must become aware of the strategic importance of this sector and of the need to ensure its development, by providing investments and building and strengthening a nationwide entrepreneurial fabric.

 

Newcomers have appeared on the “space scene”, countries like India and China, which have caught up with the US, Europe, Russia and Japan in the capacity to independently produce and launch space systems.
Italy has acknowledged this new scenario, in fact, by entering into a significant partnership project with India that recently resulted in the launching of the “Agile” satellite developed by ASI from a space port in the Gulf of Bengal.

 

We must, therefore, do our best and utmost to ensure that Italy acquires a suitably visible and adequate role on the international scene, by boosting the development of applications based on space technologies, whose potential will remain just that without adequate development and support.

 

The Italian space industry currently employs over 6,000 persons (65.8% in the manufacturing sector and the remaining 34.2% in the services sector) (2005 figures).
The 2005 turnover totaled 1.5 bn euro, 65.4% from manufacturing and 34.6% from services.

In Italy there are some significant space and aerospace projects under way, such as the Aerospace Technology Districts in Lazio and Campania and other projects launched in Piemonte and Sardinia.

 

These undertakings prove that, for a number of years now, Space is regaining the focus it deserves, in relation to its political and economic relevance and, at long last, the awareness is gaining ground that we must combine the development of the “space industry” and the development of its applications for the general public, government and businesses.

The outlook for 2007 is important.

The new President of the Space Agency has taken office and the necessary steps are being implemented to ensure Italy’s hosting the European Parliament’s Conference on Space.
Today an important ESA Council meeting is being held and during the year we expect that the European Space Policy will be launched and several important European programs completed.

 

Galileo, GMES, Cosmo-SkyMed are projects featuring a considerable impact.

The recent developments in the debate in Brussels on the Galileo Project show the need for public support for a real space policy.

 

The European satellite navigation system Galileo will boost the worldwide satellite navigation, positioning and time-measuring services market, which are expected to open up new perspectives in various commercial sectors and improve the daily life of citizens worldwide.

We all know that, despite the considerable investments made in the last 40 years, Italy’s market position has recently weakened. If we want to turn this trend around, as seems to be the case, the timeframe in which to accomplish this is rather tight: within the next 12 to 18 months, in fact, we must introduce policies and instruments capable of strengthening Italy’s role in Europe, to stem the loss of talents and professional deskilling and the overall downgrading of the entrepreneurial fabric.

 

Therefore, our country must urgently tackle and solve the problem of Government responsibility for Space, lacking which we will continue to uselessly invoke a space program and an overall industrial policy design for the sector, while continuing to accumulate delays, compared to the rest of the world, despite our past track record and the large-scale investments made at domestic or European level.

 

Moreover, the stakeholders concerned: central and local government, businesses, agencies and research centers, financial institutions, must come together to actively and effectively pursue the strategies that must necessarily be put into place.

 

We must believe and invest in satellite technology to foster technological innovation and the development of new services and to broaden the catchment area of potential consumers and users.
We must encourage the development of cutting-edge SMEs, as demonstrated by the positive experience of the aerospace technological districts in our country.

 

It is necessary to create a Space economy fabric in the country, made up of large and small enterprises, in pre-competitive partnership.

It shall be necessary to promote a virtuous circle between public and private sector funding, capable of driving the Space economy forward