Institutions, companies and research representatives gathered at the OGR Torino for «Torino Spazio Futuro – Space Horizons: The New Space Economy», an initiative promoted by ANGI, the National Association of Young Innovators, with support from Fondazione CRT. The event served as a platform to present a position paper outlining proposals to strengthen the competitiveness of Italy's space sector, encourage investment and highlight national expertise.
The document, titled «Torino Spazio Futuro», was the centerpiece of discussions that also covered new space infrastructure, satellite applications, emerging business models and the role of startups in the development of the space economy. Gabriele Ferrieri, president of ANGI, described the space economy as one of the major opportunities for growth and innovation in Italy, pointing to industrial, scientific and technological capabilities that he said must be enhanced through closer collaboration among institutions, businesses and the research community.
Ferrieri said the initiative aims to help build a strategy capable of attracting investment, supporting new professional skills and giving young generations a leading role. The position paper, he added, was created to turn the debate into concrete proposals for the future of the Italian space industry.
Andrea Tronzano, regional minister for budget, finance and economic-financial programming for Piedmont, emphasized the strategic role of the region in the aerospace supply chain. He described the space economy as a fundamental pillar for the economic development of Turin and Piedmont and as a source of opportunities for young people who can train and build careers in a constantly expanding sector. Tronzano said the system built in the region connects large and small companies, universities and institutions with the shared goal of making Turin and Piedmont a central reference point for the European space economy, and that the effort is already producing results.
Chiara Foglietta, Turin's city minister for ecological and digital transition, innovation and transport, spoke about the city's role in promoting innovation and strengthening the local ecosystem. She said Turin has built an innovation ecosystem linking institutions, universities, research centers, businesses, startups and foundations, and that this capacity for system-wide cooperation led to the city's recognition as European Capital of Innovation during the current mandate. Foglietta described that recognition as a responsibility and an incentive to continue, and said events like Space Horizons are important because they reinforce dialogue among all actors in the ecosystem at a national level and, above all, involve new generations.
Matteo Pessione, coordinator of OGR Tech, addressed the role of startups in the space economy. He said aerospace is one of the strategic sectors for OGR Tech and that recent years have seen significant growth in applications from Italian and European startups to its acceleration programs, such as Takeoff. Pessione also noted that the downstream segment, tied to services and applications of space technologies, is benefiting from opportunities offered by artificial intelligence.
On the industrial side, Stefano Beco, coordinator of the aerospace sector at AIAD, the federation of Italian companies for aerospace, defense and security, stressed the importance of collaboration among large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises and startups. He described the Italian aerospace supply chain as a value chain in which these actors contribute complementary skills, with the goal of leveraging the investment capacity of large companies and the innovative agility of smaller ones to develop advanced technologies and strengthen the international competitiveness of Italian industry.
The event also addressed prospects for the lunar economy. Andrea Mascaretti, president of the parliamentary intergroup on the space economy, said the space economy has entered an industrial dimension and that the next challenge will be the lunar economy, with new activities and services on the Moon. He said Italy can play a leading role in this transformation thanks to its technological and industrial expertise, particularly in Turin, where one of the first lunar habitation modules could be built.