Show Dates & Location
May 15 – 17, 2023
Venice, Italy
Contact Us
spacemeetingsveneto@advbe.com
+39 (0)6 88 64 49 49
CEO,
Space DOTS Ltd
Bianca Cefalo is the CEO and Co-founder of Space DOTS Ltd, a Spacecraft Thermal Engineer, Deep Tech Sales Expert and Public Speaker.
Former Space Systems Product Manager at Airbus DS UK, then Director of Aerospace and Defence at Carbice US, Bianca earned her MSc in Aerospace and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Naples ‘Federico II’ (Italy), specializing in Spacecraft Systems, Hypersonic Aerodynamics, Microgravity and Satellite Remote Sensing.
In 2013, Bianca moved to Germany, becoming the youngest Italian analyst assigned to the HP3 Instrument aboard the NASA/JPL Insight Mars Mission, landed on Mars in 2018.
Over the past +12 years, Bianca has contributed to the delivery of multiple science and commercial spacecraft platforms sponsored by NASA, ESA, DLR, UKSA and EU.
Partner – Global Space Practice
Leader, PwC
Luigi is a Partner in PwC Advisory France. Within PwC he leads the Space Practice worldwide, and core space strategy consulting team based in Paris and Toulouse, focused on serving institutional and commercial stakeholders in the space sector, as well as non-space companies with specific commercial interest in space products and applications. He has 22 years of experience in the space sector and he has extensively supported the Space Industry, Space Agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and governments in Europe and Worldwide. He is a member of the International Astronautical Federation Technical Committee (chair of the IAF Space Economy Committee), and a regular keynote and panel speaker at space-related events worldwide.
Associate Director – Head of
NewSpace,
CNES – French Space Agency
Thomas Fouquet is the Associate Director – Head of NewSpace at the French Space Agency @Cnes. He joined Cnes in 2017 after spending more than a decade in California as an entrepreneur and investor in the Tech sector. He is also a Board Member of SpaceFounders – the European space accelerator and MEDES – the Space Physiology and Medecine Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics and an MBA.
Executive VP Technology and
R&D – CTO,
IAI – Israel Aerospace Industries
Eytan Eshel has joined IAI in October 2021 and appointed EVP technology and R&D – CTO.
In 2015 Eshel joined Elbit Systems, as Vice President of Elisra division. In this position, he was responsible for business line of SIGINT, Ground and Naval EW and C4I and served at the corporate management level, and as director in the ELBIT’s Australian company – ELSA. In 2020 Eytan Eshel was appointed to the position of VP Marketing and business development in Elbit Land and IMI Division, in this position he was responsible for the international marketing and new business in more than 60 countries.
Between the years 2010 to 2015 Eshel has served as the Head of Military R&D (DDR&D – Directorate of Defense Research & Development in IDF and MOD), in charge of R&D and full-scale development programs of the entire IDF. He served at senior IDF team whose mandate was to define the army’s force building plans. BG Eytan initiated and managed international programs and cooperation with other countries in a grand scale.
Between 1983 to 2014 Eytan Eshel served in various key positions in the IDF, the Israeli Air Force and MOD – DDR&D (Directorate of Defense Research & Development). Throughout his military career he served in a variety of command, professional and staff positions and initiated, set up and led many major programs. Eshel reached the senior position of Head of Military R&D in the rank of Brigadier General.
CEO & Founder,
Astralintu Space Technologies
Matias is an Ecuadorian engineer and space enthusiast. He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (USA), where he obtained both his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering and a Minor in Robotics Engineering. Additionally, Matias obtained a Physics teaching license from the state of Massachusetts. Matias started his career in Germany and then returned to Ecuador to become a space entrepreneur. Matias is the founder and CEO of Astralintu Space Technologies, which focuses on providing in-orbit services, ground segment tracking, and operations to grant space access to emerging actors in Latin America and the world.
Additionally, Matias volunteers as the STEAM Program Director for the Sideralis Foundation acts as SGAC’s Regional Coordinator for South America, is the current Vice-Chair of the IAF Administrative Committee for Developing Countries and Emerging Communities (ACDCEC), and is the Chair of the IAF Latin American and Caribbean Subcommittee (LAC-SC). Matias has been recognized as an Emerging Space Leader by the International Astronautical Federation and a Space Generation Leader by the SGAC. Through engineering and education, Matías looks to lead and promote the development of the New Space industry in Latin America so the region can attain all its benefits.
President,
HIT09
Ernesto Benini is full professor of « Aircraft Propulsion » at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padova and President of Hit09. He has more than twenty years of experience in the research and development of advanced methods for the design optimisation of propulsors. He is Principal Investigator of numerous private and European research projects, as well as a scientific advisor to major international companies in the propulsion sector.
Member of ASME, AIAA and AHS. Chair of AIAA Gas Turbine Engines Technical Committee – Education. Editor of ASME « Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power ». Author and co-author of more than 300 scientific publications concerning the Fluid Dynamics of Machines. He has also been granted with 12 international patents. He has received numerous awards for his academic and scientific activity, including numerous « Best Paper Awards », the gold medal for the best Academic Curriculum and the New York Academy of Sciences nomination for the « Outstanding young researchers » award. He has been recently included in the Top 2% most cited scientists worldwide according to the Stanford University ranking.
Space Applications Expert
CNES – French Space Agency
Graduate from SUPELEC Electronics Engineering school in 1985.
Master in Space Systems from Delft University in 2005.
• Joined CNES in 1986.
• 25 years of experience in development of electronic hardware and software on board satellites for numerous space projects (SPOT, HELIOS, MYRIADE microsatellites).
• Joined the Navigation Division in 2010. Managing the initial set up of an external GNSS laboratory and responsible for the development of a software platform able to process real measurements and to simulate signal propagation.
• Since 2015 working in Strategy Department in charge of promoting and fostering the usage of space technologies and data. In a first stage, for transport and mobility fields then, since 2020, for agricultural and forest sectors.
Chief Marketing Officer,
Planetek Italia
Degree in Agronomy, President of Consorzio Costellazione Apulia and founder member of Planetek Italia and Planetek Hellas.
As a Chief Marketing Officer in Planetek Italia, he has a sound experience in analysis of local Public Administrations ICT requirements and in the development of land monitoring and management systems. He published articles on different issues related to GIS and system development for environmental applications, land monitoring through Earth Observation data, and for transports and fleet management with GPS/Galileo. As a marketing manager, he grew-up his knowledge and competencies about the market of geospatial applications for central and local Public Administration and entities involved in land management. He managed also the marketing activities for the launch of some products and services such as image processing software, the webGIS solutions and the Earth monitoring cloud-based platform Rheticus (www.rheticus.eu).
Global Leader & Satellite Solutions,
Amazon Web Services
Buffy Wajvoda is an experienced leader and advocate in the tech industry with a history of working in public cloud, aerospace/satellite, financial, US Gov’t, and technical service industries. She is currently the Global Leader for Aerospace & Satellite Solutions Architecture at AWS. Her expertise includes cyber security, big data, statistical data analysis, cloud computing, and inclusive leadership. Prior to AWS, she spent 3 years at Capital One as Director of Solutions Engineering and Architecture and 15 years with the National Security Agency with a focus on cryptanalysis, radio frequency (RF) analysis, and engineering for satellite and high bandwidth communications ending as the Technical Director for Field Operations.
Head – Global Industrial
Partnerships
ClearSpace SA
A veteran Space professional entrusted with cradle-to-grave leadership across programs addressing both the Space-for-Earth and Space-for-Space commercial ecosystems, technical, operational, and executive leadership authority and P&L accountability for highly visible fleet-level satellite communications, earth observation, deep space exploration/resource utilization, active debris removal and in-orbit servicing solutions.
Frederic’s subject matter expertise and successful leadership of technically leveraged engineering teams, architecting and supporting current and next generation state-of-the-art technology, strategies, roadmaps and programs and leading integrated PMO teams have provided multiple opportunities to work alongside world-class minds.
Current responsibilities as Head – Global Industrial Partnerships consist of defining, driving, supporting, managing and overseeing the company’s partnerships, systems/subsystems and service mission solutions’ technology development and roadmap from conceptualization through launch and in-orbit mission performance addressing ClearSpace’s active debris removal and in-orbit servicing solutions.
Electrochemical Technologist,
Breton
Fabio Bassetto has been working in the R&D Department of BRETON since 2005, after a Master Degree in Industrial Chemistry. One of his first achievements was the development of a pilot plant to produce doped metal oxides by means of new industrial processes. Afterwards he has been working on both development and improvement of new thermosetting polymers (especially with reduced carbon footprint) to be used in composites materials produced by BRETON.
Fabio Bassetto was involved in the development of Electrochemical Division of BRETON and he now works on several projects about the fuel cells and lithium batteries, in collaboration with some universities. He is co-author of several patents and scientific contributions concerning the production of both new thermosetting for composite materials and energy conversion/storage systems.
Europe Sales Manager,
Ansys
Roberto Gemma is the EMEA Product Sales Manager for Ansys regarding STK product line. He has been supporting business development and reseller manager roles, in various countries in EMEA region. He received his BSc in Computer Science Engineering and a Master in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Rome RomaTre. He is responsible for supporting AGI’s Business Partners and Users to help them using and leveraging Ansys STK technology. He has spent 10 years between AGI and Ansys and 15 in the industry, proving efficiency and effectiveness of modeling and simulation software in the aerospace and defense domain.
Research Director,
Jaxa
Munetaka Ueno is research director of Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center, JAXA, and a professor of Osaka University.
After his Ph.D in physics from Kyoto University, Japan in 1994, he joined Department of Earth Science and Astronomy, University of Tokyo, then moved to Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), JAXA in 2009. His former occupations were head of mission instrument technology group, director of space science program office, and Chief engineer of JAXA.
His research interests include observational astronomy, solar system science, scientific instrumentation and systems engineering in space development.
He has been involved in several space missions, AKARI (Infrared Astronomical Satellite), AKATSUKI (Venus orbiter), and HAYABUSA mission.
He served a director of Astronomical Society of Japan, a chair person of Standing Space Agency Subcommittee, International Project Management Committee, and a member of space science advisory committee of ISAS, JAXA. He was also recently selected as project manager for the moonshot R&D project.
Founder and CEO,
Satellogic
Emiliano Kargieman is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Satellogic. Over the past 25+ years, his career has taken him across the world having served many roles in the technology sector.
Prior to Satellogic, Emiliano co-founded three companies: Core Security Technologies, where he developed the first automated penetration testing software and gained the loyalty of clients such as Apple, Cisco, Homeland Security, NSA, NASA, Lockheed Martin, and DARPA; Aconcagua Ventures, a group focused on investing in high-tech startups across Latin America and developing them into global businesses; GarageLab, a problem-solving laboratory with an innovative multidisciplinary approach involving science, technology, art, and business. Additionally, he has served as an independent consultant and member of the Special Projects Group at the World Bank.
Emiliano has a formal background in Number Theory and Philosophy.
Principal Cloud Security
Architect
OneWeb
Wendy is OneWeb’s Principal Cloud Security Architect and senior security advisor. Prior to joining OneWeb, Wendy was Experian’s DevSecOps Security Managing Adviser and defined and the strategy for the organisation’s global DevSecOps transformation initiative. She is a thought leader with over 80 blogs and articles, including an article for the Cloud Security Alliance. Wendy is active in the community, regularly sharing experience through keynotes, including with Black Hat EMEA and MEA, as well as the Financial Times Live webinar series. She honed her technical consulting skills with Cisco, PwC and Deloitte as a security architect after a doctorate from the University of Oxford.
VP of Global Supply Chain,
Satellogic
Alessandro Comune serves as VP of Global Supply Chain. He joined Satellogic in April 2021 bringing 20 years of experience gained internationally in several technical and managerial roles.
Most recently, Alessandro provided leadership to the Procurement Team of OHB Systems in Munich, Germany, heading the Subcontractor Management Department. He dealt with the selection and management of space equipment suppliers, negotiating & executing complex development contracts from kick-off to final deliveries for earth observation and scientific missions within the ESA institutional market.
Previously, Mr. Comune was Project Manager at ABSL Space Products in Oxford, UK (now a division of EnerSys Advanced Systems) delivering Lithium-Ion batteries to several Satellite customers around the world. In 2007 he worked for Airbus Defence & Space in Stevenage, UK as Principal Engineer where he gained experience in the Eurostar E3000 telecoms satellite platforms and related customizations and evolutions.
Alessandro started his career in the Aviation Industry working on different Commercial and Military aircraft projects in Italy for Leonardo (former Alenia Aeronautica) and in the US at Lockheed Martin for the JSF F-35 program. He earned his MSc in Aeronautical Engineering cum laude from University of Napoli “Federico II” in Italy.
Earth Observation Strategist,
Terrawatch Space
Aravind is the founder of TerraWatch Space, a strategic advisory and communications firm, specialising in Earth observation, satellite data and its applications. Aravind works on strategic assignments with space agencies, NewSpace startups and private investors around the world, while also working with organisations across sectors in supporting their adoption of Earth observation data. With a multidisciplinary background and over a decade of cross-functional experience across software and space sectors, he is an expert in strategy, market analysis, business modeling, space tech, satellite data and applications. Aravind is also the author of the TerraWatch Space newsletter and the host of TerraWatch Space podcast, both aimed at demystifying Earth observation for all.
Chief Climate and Sustainability
Officer
European Space Agency – ESA
Andrea Vena is the Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer of the European Space Agency – ESA. He has over than thirty years of experience in the space sector both in industrial and institutional areas.
Graduated in Electronic Engineering, with a Master in Telecommunication Systems, he started his career in Alenia Spazio, the space branch of Finmeccanica (today Leonardo).
In 2000, Andrea started his career at ESA by joining the Strategy Directorate. In 2006 he was appointed head of the Corporate Strategic Planning Office and, in 2016, head of the Corporate Development Office, in charge of establishing a corporate strategy for the development of the organisation.
On June 1st, 2021, Andrea has been appointed Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer to ensure that ESA and its programmes contribute to the Paris Agreements on Climate Change and the European Green Deal.
PHD and Environmental
Monitoring Area Manager,
MAPSAT
Mariano Focareta has more than 24 years’ experience in the development of research activities and applications on satellite remote sensing for environmental monitoring and field verification and control activities. He received its master’s degree in applied Geology at the University Federico II of Naples (Italy) in 1996 and in 2001 completed PhD in Engineering Geology at the same University.
He has currently a permanent position as project manager, remote sensing applications, environmental monitoring expert and field activities at MapSat. He has a strong experience in remote sensing product validation, image detection, geological data processing, geomorphological evolution modelling, creation of thematic maps, photo-interpreter of drones, aerial and satellite data in environmental fields and product validation.
Founder & Partner,
E2MC Ventures
Raphael Roettgen is the founder of E2MC Ventures, a space-focused early-stage venture capital firm. He is also the co-founder of Prometheus Life Technologies, a space biotech startup that was the first startup to win the Orbital Reef innovation challenge.
He lectures on space entrepreneurship and finance at several universities including the International Space University (ISU) and the Swiss Institute of Technology at Lausanne (EPFL), hosts the popular Space Business Podcast, and is the author of “To Infinity”, an introductory book on the space economy.
Previously, Mr. Roettgen held senior roles at global investment banks and hedge funds and was also a fintech entrepreneur in Brazil.
He holds degrees in finance from Wharton, machine learning from PUC-Rio and space studies from the International Space University, where he also serves as a governing member. He is a PhD candidate at the University of Luxembourg.
Founder & CEO,
D-Orbit
Luca is a visionary entrepreneur, seeking a profitable and sustainable expansion of the humankind in space. In 1998 Luca quit his Airborne Officer career and got a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering in Italy (2003). After a year working in a US research lab on nanotechnologies applied to space propellant, he came back to Europe, where, in 2005, he successfully concluded a Master’s in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability.
During his Ph.D. studies in Advanced Space Propulsion – concluded in 2008 with honors – Luca founded IRTA (startup providing advanced vision and slow-motion tracking techniques). In 2006 he co-founded The Natural Step Italia (The Natural Step is an international NGO that helps corporations and communities to pursue their objectives within a strategic sustainability framework), where the idea of applying strategic sustainability to the space sector originated. In 2008 he applied for the European Astronauts Corp among 10,000 candidates and positioned between the first two hundred.
In 2009 Luca won a Fulbright scholarship and in 2010 obtained a Certificate in Technology Entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, California. After an internship position at NASA Ames Research Center, he went back to Italy and founded D-Orbit, developing a solution for Space Logistics & Transportation.
President and Founder,
OMB
Beginning his activities in 1980, Paride buys and takes over a small mechanical company based in Prevalle (Officine Meccaniche Bresciani). In over forty years of history, he observes his company grow bigger, expand and acquire small business realities, incorporating them in internal business units.
Following the path drawn by Adriano Olivetti, Paride always tried to put two key fundamental factors at the top of his business philosophy: worker’s wealth and developing innovation. The latter is being pursued as continuous improvement, relentless research towards new markets of the future. The first project on hydrogen valve begins in 2013, foreseeing years ahead the changes that we acknowledge today. A few years later, finally, in 2019 the first project related with the world of aerospace comes into existence.
From brass nuts to the outer space is indeed an astonishing goal, but that’s only the natural culmination for a company that made continuous innovation its mantra and funding cornerstone.
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO),
Vanzetti Engineering S.p.a
Andrea Capuani joined Vanzetti Engineering in 2022 after spending more than 25 years experience in Aerospace & Defence sector. In Avio he started his career as TPLOx Aerothermal Designer of VINCI upper stage engine, following as Program Manager of TP400 Power Gearbox Program for Europropulsion Consortium and he actively participated as Strategic Planning in several Space M&A projects. In Elettronica he covered the role of Sales Director of SIGEN, a Consortium of ELT & Thales, for electronic warfare system installed on board of FREMM/Horizon Frigate Bi-National Programs and he was in charge of Head of Corporate Strategy & Risk Management. He holds a Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering and a Master in High Defence Studies.
Full professor,
Dept of Agronomy, Food, Natural
Resources, Animals and
Environment (DAFNAE) UniPD
Franco Meggio is Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Science, DAFNAE of the University of Padova. He completed the PhD in Viticulture, Oenology, and Marketing of wineries at the University of Padova in 2008. On 2008 won a fellowship to carry out a research period on Vegetation Stress Detection with Remote Sensing Imagery at the Istituto de Agricoltura Sostenibile, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (IAS – CSIC), Cordòba (Spain). From 2008 to 2022, he was a researcher with the Department of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Science, DAFNAE of University of Padova. He has carried out several internships abroad, at recognized research institutions both during the doctorate and in the postdoctoral period, as a visiting scientist. He is Principal Investigator of private and national research projects, as well as scientific advisor to national companies in the viticultural sector.
He works at the crossroads of plant physiology, ecosystems ecology and remote sensing. His main research interests focus on three major topics: i) Understanding leaf-level biochemical processes and responses at the canopy level. He is interested in plant ecophysiology and its adaptation to the environment changes for a deeper understanding on impacts of climate change on tree crops (grapevine, orchards); ii) Sustainable viticulture and environmental impact of agricultural activities. Modeling carbon dynamics in tree crops and quantification of abiotic factors affecting plant physiological processes; iii) Linking remote sensing methods to plant physiology, canopy architecture and biophysical parameters to promote precision viticulture approaches by means of proximal and remote sensors.
Member of the Italian (SOI) and International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) he is Academic Correspondent of the Italian Academy of Vine and Wine. Associated Editor of OenoOne he is author and co-author of more than 100 scientific publications concerning viticulture, plant ecophysiology and precision viticulture.
Executive Committee Member,
Telespazio
As a member of Telespazio Germany’s Executive Committee and as Chief Systems and Products Officer, Ivan is responsible for business areas concerning Ground Segment Systems, Training and Simulation, Cybersecurity, Mission-Critical ICT Infrastructure Engineering and Satellite Communications in the space and defence sectors. Prior to joining Telespazio Germany, Ivan was working in the Energy sector as a software developer, project and program manager, strategic development manager and business executive. Ivan has a strong professional background with a Ph.D. focused in Computer Science from University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing.
Full professor,
Dept of Agronomy, Food,
Natural Resources, Animals and
Environment (DAFNAE) UniPD
Professor of entomology at the University of Padova, Department DAFNAE. His research activity addresses topics of forest entomology and insect ecology, with special emphasis on the effect of climate change on the insect populations. He’s also developing innovative techniques for the study and the control of insect pests. He coordinates a research group involved in several national and international research projects.
System Engineer,
Sener
L. Tarabini Castellani is a system engineer at SENER with experience in complex space systems and in particular in satellites design, development and verification.
He obtained a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering in 1999 at the “Politecnico di Milano”. In 1999-2000 he worked at the TU-München designing the Attitude and Orbit Control System the moon mission Lunarsat. In 2000 joined GMV Aerospace and Defence in Madrid where he was responsible for the DARWIN constellation simulators, the PLANCK spacecraft navigation and the mission analysis for SMART-2, ConeXpress and Proba-3. In 2008 he joined SENER as system engineer of SMART-OLEV, a commercial mission aimed to provide in orbit servicing to geostationary telecommunication satellites. From 2010 to 2015 he worked as Proba-3 system engineer. Since 2015 he is working on advanced AOCS missions and technologies (EUCLID, PLATO, SPACE RIDER), on ESA Technology Research Projects (CORA-SAGE and Nano Micro Launch Vehicle Avionics), on SENER internal development activities and preparing proposals for ESA and European Commission (TRP, GSTP, OSIP, H2020). Currently he is working on the development of a novel system to deorbit space debris using electrodynamic tether (E.T.PACK www.etpack.eu).
Chief Commercial Officer,
The Exploration Company
Dana Baki is the Chief Commercial Officer of The Exploration Company, one of the fastest growing space companies globally, building reusable space capsules. This Nyx capsule will be the first to use green propellant globally, while flying at a fraction of the cost of global competition.
Prior to joining The Exploration Company, Dana was the co-founder & COO of MUNCH:ON, a food delivery platform based out of the Middle East, that was acquired by Careem (Uber’s subsidiary in the region). Before starting MUNCH:ON, Dana was a Partner of Business Development at AlJal Capital—a boutique financing and venture capital firm in the United Arab Emirates. Previous to that, Ms. Baki worked for Procter & Gamble in the United States for 7+ years, benefiting from a wide range of assignments within the company and gaining expertise in Corporate Strategy, Marketing and Consumer Insights.
She holds an MBA from Georgetown University and B.A. in Economics and English Literature from The University of Michigan.