Biospace economy. New opportunities for Physiology, Healthcare, Wellness, Pharmacy - Session I

After decades of human activity largely confined to low Earth orbit, space exploration is once again moving toward deep space. With the successful completion of the Artemis II mission and the planning of future missions to Mars, human presence beyond Earth orbit is becoming a concrete objective. Achieving this ambition requires addressing unprecedented challenges that extend well beyond engineering and propulsion, placing biomedical and physiological questions at the center of space exploration strategies.

Prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation, combined with the effects of microgravity, has profound impacts on multiple organs and physiological systems. Sustained living and working in space therefore demand a new level of understanding, monitoring, and control of the biological processes that govern human health under extreme and potentially lethal conditions. These challenges are redefining priorities for space missions and, at the same time, opening new markets and innovation pathways on Earth.

As a result, space-related technologies are rapidly expanding in scope and impact, creating strong momentum across materials science, advanced manufacturing, and enabling technologies aimed at preserving, monitoring, and enhancing human health and wellbeing. Innovations originally driven by space life sciences are now converging with biotechnology, medicine, and pharmaceutical research, generating transformative opportunities for both in-orbit applications and terrestrial healthcare systems.

The event aims to foster a high‑level dialogue among academia, SMEs, and major industry players on how the integration of materials science, advanced manufacturing, physiology, bioengineering, and technologies can: 
1) ensure astronaut safety and wellbeing during long‑duration microgravity and deep‑space missions;
2) offer new opportunities in this emerging BioSpace economy for companies already proficient in the Healthcare, Wellness, Pharmacy business.
Beyond showcasing selected success stories, the session will highlight how existing industrial capabilities and research approaches can be translated into new applications enabled by microgravity and space conditions. The discussion will connect spaceflight and infrastructure providers with biomedical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology stakeholders, while also addressing the downstream benefits for healthcare on Earth with a focus on radiation-shielding materials, health-monitoring sensors and telemedicine systems, AI-driven data analysis, bioelectronics, in-space biomanufacturing, and cell-based assays.

The event will be structured into two interactive sessions. Each session will open with short, inspirational talks designed to set the scene and stimulate discussion, followed by a moderated panel and open Q&A aimed at encouraging exchange, cross-sector collaboration, and concrete industrial perspectives.

Programme

Introduction: scope of the meeting and presentation of the speakers
Vincenzo Palermo, Research Director, Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), National Research Council of Italy (CNR)

In-orbit validation of soft radiation shielding during AXIOM-3 crewed mission: problems solved and lessons learnt
Alessio Grasso, Aerospace & Defense Business Unit Manager, Dallara

Q&A panel
Moderator: 
Vincenzo Palermo, Research Director, Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity, National Research Council of Italy - CNR-ISOF

Andrea Liscio, Senior Researcher, Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM), National Research Council of Italy - CNR
Davide Santachiara, CEO and e Project Manager DTM Technologies
Nicolò Benini, Business Development Manager Marketing NPC spacemind
Franco Lori, EcoAida srl
Davide De Pietri Tonelli, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)