Beyond the Lab: Space It Up! and the new perspectives of the Italian space industry

Over the past few years, the European space sector has entered a new phase of acceleration, shaped by the need to strengthen Europe’s strategic role in space and reinforce its technological autonomy. Within this evolving landscape, Italy stands out for its combination of scientific excellence, industrial capability and institutional vision, supported by national strategies aimed at consolidating the country’s position in the global space economy.

In this context, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has provided a significant boost to Italy’s space ambitions, enabling advanced initiatives such as Space It Up!, the programme funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Ministry of University and Research (MUR). Bringing together universities, research centres, companies and institutions, Space It Up! was created to overcome the fragmentation of Italian space research and build a shared framework where knowledge, technologies and expertise can converge to generate value for the national ecosystem.

Two years after the start of the programme, this panel will move beyond a presentation of results to open a broader discussion on the impact Space It Up! is generating across the Italian space sector.

Together with experts who have directly contributed to the programme’s development, the discussion will explore the milestones achieved so far, the collaborations enabled by the programme, the role of knowledge transfer between research and industry, and the challenges shaping the path ahead.

Through the lens of Space It Up!, the panel will offer a concrete perspective on how research, industry and institutions can work together to strengthen Italy’s role in the space sector.

Programme

Moderator:
Margherita Righini, Hub Space It Up!

Erasmo Carrera, Space It Up!, Politecnico di Torino

Nunzia Favaloro, CIRA - Italian Aerospace Research Center

Alfredo Renga, University of Naples Federico II

Fabrizia Buongiorno, National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology - INGV

Maria Cristina Lupi, Leonardo S.p.A.

Gilles Mariotti, SITAEL S.p.A.

Kamel Besbes, University of Monastir, CRMN Sousse