Adrien Bécue (PHD) is AI & Cybersecurity Expert at Thales. He graduated from Toulouse Business School with a Master in Aerospace Management in 2003, and fulfilled a PHD in Artificial Intelligence at University of Porto in 2025.
In 2004, he joined the French defense procurement agency (DGA) as a Program Purchaser for Land Weapon systems. In this position he managed a portfolio of industrial and research projects driven by Network-Centric Warfare and Digital Battlefield transformations. He joined EADS group in 2008 to manage acquisition programs in Tactical Communication systems for the French Navy and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deployed in Afghanistan. In 2010 he became Research & Technology Project Manager for border security and maritime surveillance projects. In 2013 he became Head of Innovation of Airbus Cybersecurity. In this role, he won several Awards of Innovation with projects in fields of cryptography, cyber-defense, and security of industrial control systems.
In December 2022 he has joined Thales to take the role of AI and Cybersecurity Expert. He is involved in strategic projects in field of 5G security, AI-based intrusion detection, adversarial AI and generative AI. He is Technical Coordinator of the European defense project AIDA that deals with Artificial Intelligence Deployable Agent for cyber-defense operations. He is member of several cybersecurity and AI expert groups supporting organizations such as ANR (French National Research Agency), EC (the European Commission), ECSO (the European Cyber-Security Organization), ENISA (European Cybersecurity Agency), EDA (the European Defense Agency) and NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
Aerospace engineer with 25+ years’ sales and marketing experience in the aerospace/defense and automotive sectors (Leonardo Helicopters, Cummins Meritor, Piaggio Aerospace). Alfredo Nocera is a senior executive consultant since 2016, specialized in global business development, new products launch, joint ventures and other strategic partnerships.
Since 2018, he is the Country Advisor in Italy for “Invest in Türkiye”, the official organization that promotes investment opportunities in Türkiye to the global business community, assisting the investors before, during and after their entry into the Country.
Andrea Dal Monte is an Italian engineer and entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Padua, where he specialized in machine design optimization and computational fluid dynamics. Passionate about technology, optimization, and artificial intelligence, he built his expertise through years of research at the University of Padua including a research period at Delft University of Technology.
In 2018 he co-founded NablaWave, an engineering company focused on fluid-dynamic and structural analyses, where he developed a suite of proprietary tools acting as digital twins of client products or in support of clients’ design operations.
In 2024 he co-founded Spaider, a startup that applies state-of-the-art AI techniques covering a wide range of engineering operations — from geometry reconstruction to numeric improvement — to dramatically accelerate engineering workflows and enable real-time performance estimation directly at the design stage. With Spaider he participated in prestigious accelerator programs such as Plug&Play Italia and Innovit San Francisco.
Arianna Vettorel, Ph.D., is Adjunct Professor of « The Law of New Space Economy » at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy) – School for International Education (SIE); she is also an active member of the International Institute of Space Law.
She has published numerous essays in the field of space law in peer-reviewed international law journals. In particular, she is the author of the book « Rights of Individuals in an Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation Environment. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of New Space », published in 2023 by Brill in the Series « Studies in Space Law ». She has attended several international conferences as speaker, such as at the Geospatial World Forum held in Rotterdam (NL) and at the Internal EU Space Law Coordination Meeting of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Dr. Arianna Vettorel is also Attorney at Law and has served as arbitrator in commercial law disputes.
Aurora Bontade has been Argotec’s Chief Growth Officer since 2023. In this role, she is responsible for strategy development, business opportunities, and marketing, communications and product management.
For the past 20 years, she has worked in global strategic marketing, franchise operations, and European sales organizations within international medical device companies.
Notably, she was Director of Global Strategic Marketing at Corcym, a leading medical device company for heart valve replacement and repair, where she implemented the company’s marketing strategy and programs.
She was Commercial Excellence Director for both the Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation therapeutic areas at LivaNova, where she developed the ComEX architecture and implemented sales processes and methodologies. She holds a degree in Economics and Management from the University of Pavia.
Carlo Bettanini is Professor of “Aerospace Flight Dynamics” at University of Padova and has almost 30 year experience in the development and testing of subsystems and instruments for space missions, stratospheric balloons and drone’s applications. He is the head of “Measurements for Space” Research Laboratory and coordinator of the Flight Dynamics team within the FLIGHTDS « Flight Dynamics and SpaceSystems » research group at University of Padova.
He is Vice Director of the Center for Space Activities , member of the Board of the Department of Industrial Engineering, member of the Board of Professors for the Doctoral School in Science, Technology and Measurements for Space (STMS) at University of Padova . He serves as appointed representative for University of Padova in USRA Council of Institutions, as trustee in the Council of European Aerospace Societies (CEAS) and is technical and scientific coordinator of the Veneto Regional Aerospace Innovative Network (RIR AIR).
Caterina Bortolini is Director at Rheinmetall Italia, where she leads the development of two highly innovative and strategic areas for security: cyber solutions and the space domain, addressing the emerging challenges of the New Space Economy and the evolving cyber landscape.
She is an attorney specialized in European and international law. Over the course of her career, she has gained more than twenty years of experience in senior roles within the TIM Group, where she coordinated European and International Institutional Affairs and represented the company across a wide range of international digital-sector forums.
Cristina Leone is President of the CTNA, National Aerospace Technology Cluster since 2016. The CTNA is the national innovation pole, which includes the 15 main regional aerospace districts and the major industrial and aerospace research entities. Cristina is SVP Grants & Agencies at the Chief Technologogy and Innovation Officer in Leonardo.
Cristina has been nominated as one of the Inspiring Fifty 2021, Italian edition: the fifty most inspirational women in the world of technology. She has a degree in Electronic Engineering, Remote Sensing and Radar Systems from the University of Rome « La Sapienza » and started her career in the space sector back in 1996.
David Avino is the founder and CEO of Argotec, an internationally recognized Italian company and a leader in the design, production, and control of small satellites and their subsystems.
He holds degrees in Computer Science and Strategic Studies, attended the Military Academy of Modena, and served and served as Army Officer in the Airborne Brigade. From 2002 to 2008, he worked at the European Space Agency (ESA), contributed to Shuttle, Soyuz, and long-duration missions, and collaborating with NASA and Roscosmos programs.
In 2008, he founded Argotec, which quickly gained international recognition for its unconventional and visionary approach, reflected both in its business model and technological solutions, driving landmark innovations and achieving key milestones for the entire Space Industry. The company has received the NASA Award in 2016, the AIAA Mission of the Year 2023 with LICIACube, and in 2022 became the only company in the world to have two operational satellites simultaneously in deep space.
In 2024, Avino inaugurated the SpacePark: a smart factory and strategic innovation hub with an all-in-house and LAB2FAB approach. He also strengthened the company’s presence in the United States with a new production facility in Florida.
In 2025, Avino and his team set two additional records: the launch of HEO Pathfinder, the first satellite of the Italian Government’s Earth Observation Program, and the simultaneous launch of seven satellites for the same constellation – a European first, highlighting the excellence of the Italian Space Industry worldwide.
Avino serves on several boards of directors, has been cited by Forbes as one of Italy’s five most innovative space leaders, and is recognized as a Top Voice of the New Space Economy, with a crucial influence in both institutional and media spheres.
Biomedical Engineer by training and Additive Manufacturing expert by trade. Formerly Head of Application Engineering, I now drive Business Development for the Aerospace, Defense, and Mobility sectors at Roboze. I specialize in metal replacement with high-performance super polymers and composites through cutting-edge additive manufacturing solutions.
Edouard Royer is Program Manager for Planetek Italia, working within the Government and Security business unit.
Edouard is a senior aerospace engineer with 15 years of experience in the downstream and launchers segment within industry and national agencies. He currently acts as IRIDE Program Manager, with a special focus on the service segment and supporting the long-term sustainability of the IRIDE end-to-end system.
MBA-educated Industrial Engineer with more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles at multinational market leaders such as Microsoft, Apple and Accenture, supporting enterprise companies in their digital transformation and innovation journeys. He has now applied this extensive expertise also to the transformation and innovation of production processes, founding Addivate with a group of experienced Italian entrepreneurs, the leading Italian hub for additive manufacturing based on high-performance superpolymers.
Filippo Campagnaro received the Ph.D. degree in information engineering in 2019 from the University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
In 2014, he joined the SIGNET Group, Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, as a Research Engineer. In October 2019, he joined the Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer of ICT master courses. He is currently a Research Assistant Professor with the same department and co-founder of SubSeaPulse SRL, a startup company developing innovative solutions for underwater communications and wireless sensors for studying biodiversity and climate change in coastal areas.
His research activity involves the design and evaluation of secure multimodal underwater optical and acoustic networks, with a particular focus on simulation and field experimentation. Filippo has developed several research and industrial prototypes and has participated in over 20 sea trials with NATO STO CMRE (La Spezia, Italy), EvoLogics GmbH (Berlin, Germany), the IMDEA Network Institute (Madrid, Spain), the University of Haifa (Haifa, Israel), and the CSSN of the Italian Navy (La Spezia, Italy). He was one of the technical managers of the MarTERA RoboVaaS project and collaborated with the European Defence Agency project SALSA.
Francesco Borghese is an experienced electronics engineer with over two decades of expertise in maritime communication systems. Since 1999, he has been working at Elman S.r.l., leading complex international projects involving AIS and GMDSS technologies for clients such as EMSA, the Italian Coast Guard, and various global maritime authorities. He has successfully managed large-scale system design, deployment, and integration across Europe, Africa, and Asia, including national AIS networks and regional data exchange platforms.
Francesco combines strong technical knowledge in embedded systems and digital communications with proven leadership in multidisciplinary teams. He is an active contributor to international maritime standards through IALA and IEC committees, and holds a Master’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Rome “La Sapienza.” He is currently Head of R&D Department at Elman S.r.l..
Francesco Pirotti is a Professor of Geomatics at the University of Padua. He is affiliated with the Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry and with the Interdepartmental Research Center of Geomatics. He holds several scientific and institutional roles in professional societies within the field, both at national and international level.
His research activity focuses on the acquisition, analysis, and management of metric and thematic data, with particular attention to data derived from remote sensing techniques. He is involved in various education and science outreach initiatives, including summer schools (such as the Earth Sensing Summer School and the Sensing Mountains Summer School) and master’s programs (such as the Master’s in Geospatial Data Science for the health of humans, animals, and the environment), developed in collaboration with other departments and international universities.
Franco Boldrini joined OHB Italia in 2023 as Chief Business Development and Sales Officer. Thanks to his seniority and extensive knowledge of the space market, he also supports the CEO in defining the Company’s growth strategies.
Previously, he was responsible of Leonardo Space International Market Business Development.
He began his career at Officine Galileo Firenze (later merged with Leonardo) working as a systems engineer for electro-optical systems. After a period when he worked as program manager, he moved to sales and in 2012 became head of sales for all Leonardo Space products.
Giacomo Colombatti is an experienced researcher with more than 20 years of activity at the Center of studies for Space (CISAS) “G.Colombo” of the University of Padova and an associate professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering. He is expert in space sensor development (from designing to realisation to testing) and in planetary atmospheric data analysis. He was the Lead CoI for the MarsTem temperature sensor for the Exomars2016 mission and was involved in testing campaigns conducted in Mars like environments. He is currently working on developing space instrumentation for Astrobiology (Venom Project).
He is specialized in analysis of data for planetary probe trajectory reconstruction; he is also skilled in space tether modelling and in the analysis of the dynamics of the system; he also participated in several EU funded projects.
He also studies the dynamics of lighter than air vehicles, both for earth and space applications.
Aerospace engineer with a PhD in Industrial Engineering, Gianluigi Mistè has over 15 years of experience in advanced design, numerical simulation, and experimental development, with a particular focus on numerical modeling and optimization of complex systems for aeronautical and helicopter applications. He conducted research activities with the University of Padova, focusing on air propulsion and turbine optimization for aerospace and rotorcraft applications. He received the Best Paper Award in the propulsion session of the American Helicopter Society Conference (Phoenix, 2013) and was nominated for the Leonardo Innovation Award (2019) for the results achieved in the PROSIB project, in collaboration with Leonardo SpA.
He served as Senior R&D Engineer at T4i Srl (a company partly owned by Avio SpA), where he led the development and testing of rocket engines, working on design, simulation, and experimental validation.
In 2019, he co-founded Nablawave, an advanced R&D engineering company, where he has led innovative projects on stratospheric platforms, electric marine propulsion, and advanced components for aerospace applications.
Currently, he is also responsible for business development at Spaider, with the goal of transforming engineering design through the integration of AI-based tools, enabling faster, more accurate, and more intelligent product development.
Giorgia Manca is the Strategy & Growth Manager at REA Space, an Apulian startup developing advanced technologies to protect human health in space. With a managerial background and experience in the innovation ecosystem, she is responsible for shaping the company’s strategy and driving its growth, with a particular focus on technology transfer to terrestrial applications.
Chief Executive Officer at Planetek Italia and BoD Member of D-Orbit S.p.A. He is also Vice Chairman of EARSC, and Board member of SME4SPACE and AIPAS.
Degree in Physics. He is an author of several economic and scientific publications on space economics and space systems. Since 1984, he cooperated in Earth Observation projects with ASI and NASA. He was a director of the ASI Center of Space Geodesy. He has been an Italian Delegate at the ESA’s EO Program Board and Professor at IUAV, University of Venice, Italy.
Hirokazu Mori is Group Chief Strategy Officer at Warpspace and CEO at Warpspace USA. He has been working as a space business consultant for national and international governments and large companies in the space sector and has also been serving as a board member, director, and advisor for several national and international companies and associations. He graduated at the top from the University of Edinburgh, reading theoretical astrophysics. He has received funding from the Royal Society of Edinburgh to conduct research in theoretical astrophysics at the University of Cambridge (a modified theory of general relativity that can be tested with directly observed gravitational wave signals).
Lorenzo Feruglio, PhD: Lorenzo is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AIKO. Under his guidance, the company became leader of space automation technology in Europe, grew to over 60 employees, and expanded into international offices. He holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Torino, Italy, with a thesis on Artificial Intelligence to enhance Small Satellites Mission Autonomy (2017), and has several international experiences, such as two years at NASA JPL in USA, and in SES, Luxembourg, a leading space telecommunication company.
Lorenzo Olivieri is a Research Associate (RtdA) at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padova. As part of the Italian Space Agency delegation at the Inter-Agency space Debris Coordination committee (IADC), he is acting as Deputy Chairman of the Working Group 3 – Protection. His research interests include space debris protection and orbital sustainability, small satellites technologies, and balloon systems. He is author of more than 40 papers published on peer-reviewed journals.
Lorenzo Vangelista received the “Laurea” degree in 1992 in Electronics Engineering and the Ph.D. degree in Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering in 1995, both from Padova University, Padova, Italy. Lorenzo Vangelista received as well an executive MBA in 2004 from the Bologna Business School, Bologna Italy and followed an Executive education program at the Babson College, Boston (MA), USA. In July 2024, he received a Laurea degree in Law and Technology from the School of Law, Padova University, Padova, Italy.
He was with CSELT (now Tilab, Turin, Italy) from 1995 to 1996, where he conducted research on optical networks and techno-economic evaluations. He joined Telit Mobile Terminals (Trieste, Italy) at the end of 1996 as a GSM layer 1 designer, leaving in 2001 when he was head of the advanced developments department, conducting research on second and third generation mobile telephony, from the physical layer to protocol and services implementation. In 2002, he joined Microcell A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark), where he started a design center for 2.5 G mobile phones from scratch, working for major brands and reaching 90 employees in the middle of 2003. He then joined the worldwide organization of Infineon Technologies, where he worked as a program manager for the first mass-produced single GSM/GPRS single chip (including both baseband, protocol stack, applications, and RF processing) in CMOS. In October 2006, he joined the Department of Information Engineering, Padova University, as an associate professor of telecommunications. He became a Full Professor at the Department of Information Engineering Padova University, Padova, in 2021.
His research interests include wireless communications, mostly at the physical layer. Lorenzo Vangelista published more than a hundred journal and conference papers, all peer reviewed, which received more than 16000 citations (Google Scholar).
In January 2009, Lorenzo Vangelista, together with Prof. Michele Zorzi, established Patavina
Technologies s.r.l, a spin-off company from Padova University, focused on LoRaWAN technology. He was on the Board of Directors and CEO of Patavina Technologies until the company was successfully sold to A2A Group, listed on the Milan Stock Exchange.
In 2017, Lorenzo Vangelista, together with Prof. Michele Zorzi, established Wireless and More s.r.l, a spin-off company from Padova University, focused on wireless technologies. In 2024, Lorenzo Vangelista, together with Prof. Michele Zorzi and Prof. Filippo Campagnaro, founded SubSeaPulse s.r.l., a spin-off company from Padova University developing innovative solutions for underwater communications.
Lt. Gen. Maurizio CANTIELLO was born in the northeast of Italy in 1968; he joined the Italian Air Force Academy in 1987.
In 1992, he obtained his military wings at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training flight school – Sheppard USAF Base – Texas (USA).
He then qualified on the Tornado aircraft, at the Operational Conversion Unit – Trinational Tornado Training Establishment – Cottesmore (UK), and subsequently assigned in 1993 to the 154th Fighter Bomber Reconnaissance Group of the 6th Wing ”Diavoli Rossi » of Ghedi Air base, where he took part in combat flying sorties in NATO operations “Sharp Guard”, “Deny Flight » and « Joint Endeavour” over Bosnia.
In 1997 he was qualified experimental test pilot at the USAF Test Pilot School in Edwards – California (class 97A), and then served for ten years at the Italian Flight Test Center “Reparto Sperimentale Volo”, carrying out testing and experimentation programs on various aircrafts. During this period, he flew as “Solo Display » Pilot in the Tornado aircraft for three years and from 2003 to 2005 he commanded the 311th Flight Test Squadron.
Between 2007 and 2011, he served in Air Force General Staff, 4th Department, managing KC767A, T346A and AARGM procurement programs and then returned to the Experimental Test Wing in 2011, to assume command until 2013.
He then joined the 3rd Department of the Italian Defense General Staff (J5), as Chief of the “Alliances Policy Office”, assisting in matters of military policy, for the Chief of Defense and the Minister, for their participation in the main forums of NATO, European Union and United Nations.
In 2016, he attended the US National Defense University in Fort Mc Nair – Washington (DC), where he obtained a Master’s degree in National Security Strategy (National War College Class 2016).
Promoted to Brigadier General, he joined the staff of the Minister of Defence, as Deputy Chief of cabinet, in the area of operational affairs and subsequently military personnel, legal affairs and litigations.
On 13 November 2019 he assumed the role of Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force Logistics Command and, shortly afterwards, the leadership of a COVID19 Task Force for the Air Force, established to tackle the pandemic crisis.
From August 2021 to August 2024, he served at the Italian Embassy in Washington D.C. as Defense and Defense Cooperation Attaché, with main accreditation in the United States of America and secondary accreditation in Canada and Mexico.
After returning from the US, he became the Chief of the Air Force Administrative Responsibility Centre, managing procurement of goods, services and infrastructures for the Air Force.
As of June 20, 2025, he is the Director for the Employment of Military Personnel of the Air Force. He holds a Silver Medal for Aeronautical Valor, he is an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and an Officer of the Legion of Merit of the United States of America.
Lt. Gen. Maurizio Cantiello flew more than 3,600 flying hours on 54 different types of aircrafts and helicopters and has logged 60 combat flying hours.
Luca del Monte is a senior executive at the European Space Agency (ESA), with solid experience in industrial policy-making, strategic development and deep tech technologies. After several years in the space sector between industry and institutions in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, he joined ESA at its headquarters in France, where he took on positions of increasing responsibility in industrial strategy and policy.
Currently, he serves as Head of ESA’s Commercialization Department, supporting European space entrepreneurs on the path to commercialization and sustainable expansion in international markets. His department offers a wide range of services, ranging from business incubation to technology transfer and making connections with the investor world. He holds an honors degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and completed his training at the Centre des Hautes Études de l’Armement at the École Militaire in Paris. del Monte is also a lecturer in Space Commercialization at the Doctoral School of the Polytechnic University of Bari, teaches courses in Space Entrepreneurship at the LUISS Business School in Amsterdam and is a co-founder as well as a board member of ECSECO – European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce, based in Vienna. He is also an Officer in the Selected Reserve of the Navy.
Luka Mamić is a researcher at the University of Padua and a visiting researcher at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań within the E-FORESTER project. He holds a Master’s degree in Geodesy and Geoinformatics from the University of Zagreb, with visiting periods at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and Eskişehir Technical University. He recently obtained a PhD in Earth Observation from Sapienza University of Rome, including a research stay at Colorado State University.
His work bridges satellite remote sensing, machine learning, atmospheric chemistry, and plant physiology, with a focus on how surface ozone affects vegetation and how solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) can be used to monitor crop stress and productivity from space. His research is driven by the question: how can we detect plant stress earlier, before it’s too late, and at larger scales using publicly available satellite-derived data?
I was born on December 31, 1972 in Livorno and graduated in Pisa in telecommunications engineering in 1997 with 110/110 cum laude. Immediately after serving as a reserve officer (GM) in the Navy, I started working in 1998 in Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) as a Cell Planner. Later I worked in Nodalis where I participated in its start-up and in some other fixed telecommunications companies. Finally, in 2008 I started working in MBI where I immediately dealt with the development of the S-band SATCOM system.
Later I was involved in the development for MBI of several other SATCOM products such as the smartLNB system (now EutelsatFirst) and the coordination of several projects in the ESA, ASI and EU fields. Currently I am involved in the coordination of the development of SATCOM products such as: communication systems via GEO satellites and LEO also with on-board processing (e.g. VDES) and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) activities such as geo-location and rejection of RF emissions from the ground carried out on board LEO satellites.
Marco Bonaventura is an Italian communication engineer who graduated from the University of Padova.
Currently he is the owner and system design engineer at DWave Srl, he specializes in RF design, hardware development, and project management for the industrial and satellite markets.
His extensive career includes leadership roles at STMicroelectronics, where he focused on signal processing and telecommunication algorithms.
He is an accomplished inventor with several patents and technical publications in fields such as echo cancellation and satellite communication.
Massimo Ciscato is the Head of the Space Services Sector of the Space Research Unit of the European Commission’s Health and Digital Executive Agency.
He holds a PhD in Science and a complementary diploma in Information Technology. After spending several years in the private sector and as a freelance IT consultant, he joined the European Commission in 2007 to manage EU-funded research grants in the field of security, including cybersecurity, and, since 2016, in the field of space research. Since 2021 he leads a team of Project Officers managing Horizon Europe research grants, mostly in the fields of Earth Observation and of Space Science.
Mauro Sampellegrini is Director of Research, Innovation and Sustainability at Confindustria Moda, the Italian Federation of Textile and Fashion Industries.
He is responsible for defining and coordinating the Federation’s strategy on European-funded projects, industrial innovation, and sustainability, with a strong focus on digitalisation, advanced materials, and circular economy.
With extensive experience in EU policy frameworks and cross-sector collaboration, he actively engages with European institutions, industry stakeholders, and research organisations to support the competitiveness and technological evolution of the textile sector.
In recent years, he has been increasingly involved in initiatives at the intersection of textiles and high-tech industries, including aerospace and defence, contributing to the development of innovation roadmaps and the promotion of advanced textile solutions for next-generation applications.
Michael Wohlfart is Team Manager Business Development & Academy at EOS, where he leads the Business Development team and oversees the Additive Minds Academy. With a strong background in high-end product development, he focuses on advancing AM in the defense and space sectors.
Michael started his career as an additive manufacturing engineer at Siemens, supporting the shift to serial AM production for gas turbine components.
Since joining EOS in 2017, he has held roles across engineering and business development, including supporting strategic U.S. customers in space and energy during his time in Los Angeles.
Michele Iapaolo works as a Commercialisation Officer in the ESA Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry & Competitiveness, in particular in the development of innovative products and services derived from – or that make use of – space technologies (like for example Earth Observation data) or in the adaption and transfer of terrestrial technologies into the space domain. He previously worked for more than 15 years in the ESA Earth Observation Directorate, where he gained an extensive experience in the development of EO downstream applications and new technologies for data management, data processing, information extraction and delivery, and as a Country Desk Officer in the ESA New Member States, Associate Members and Cooperating States office, implementing the ESA national schemes dedicated to the development of the industrial capabilities in Space in those Countries.
With around fourteen years of experience at the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Muttalip Tütüncü focuses on sectoral activities in Defence & Aerospace and Manufacturing fields. He held different roles in the organization as Project Director and Senior Project Director in Overseas Activities Unit, and currently Project Manager within the Sectoral Activities Unit. He has been leading business development and FDI facilitation in those industries, serving as a single point of contact for international investors and coordinating across national, regional, and local levels to deliver strategic industrial collaborations.
From 2014 to 2016, he served as Executive Coordinator for the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), coordinating between the Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Türkiye (ISPAT) and WAIPA, while conducting audits and inspections as well. Also, he successfully conducted the process of relocation of WAIPA’s headquarters from Geneva to Istanbul. He holds bachelor’s degrees in International Relations, and Business Administration.
Munetaka Ueno is the Research Director of the Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center at JAXA, and also holds professorships at Osaka University and Kobe University. He earned his Ph.D. in physics from Kyoto University in 1994. Afterward, he joined the Department of Astronomy at the University of Tokyo, and in 2009, he moved to the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), JAXA. At JAXA, he has held several key positions, including Head of the Mission Instrument Technology Group, Director of the Space Science Program Office, and Chief Engineer.
His research interests span observational astronomy, solar system science, scientific instrumentation, and systems engineering in space development. He has contributed to several major space missions, including AKARI (an infrared astronomical satellite), AKATSUKI (a Venus orbiter), and the HAYABUSA asteroid mission. He has also served as a Director of the Astronomical Society of Japan and as Chair of the Standing Space Agency Subcommittee under the International Project Management Committee.
He is deeply involved in supporting space startups in Japan. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor to ArkEdge Space, ispace, and Letara, and is also a co-founder and board member of Power Laser Inc.
Vice President of Strategic Planning, Scenarios and New Initiatives at Telespazio (Leonardo – Thales Group).
With over 15 years of experience in corporate strategy, business transformation, and management control, he has played a key role in shaping strategic plans, leading M&A transactions, and driving growth initiatives in the aerospace and space sectors.
He is also responsible for the business planning activities of the Moonlight Program, a PPP with ESA aimed at developing a lunar-orbiting infrastructure to provide communication and navigation services for upcoming lunar missions.
Before his current role, he served as Head of Business Transformation at Telespazio, where he managed post-merger integrations and launched the Telespazio Product Portfolio platform.
Previously, as Head of Strategic Planning and M&A, he oversaw investment initiatives, business plans for ESA and EUSPA programs, and several acquisitions in Earth Observation and New Space domains.
Nicola began his career as a financial analyst at Alcatel Lucent and later held roles in management control and strategic planning at Leonardo Corporate.
He holds a Master’s degree in General Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University, with international experience in Australia and the United States.
He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) and co-founder of Eggup®, a soft-skills assessment platform acquired by Zucchetti in 2022.
Paolo Mangili is the Head of Engineering and Research at REA Space. He graduated in Product Design at Politecnico di Milano and then obtained a Master of Science in Space Architecture at the University of Houston, where he worked as a Researcher on projects with partner companies like Boeing until October of 2025. He currently works with REA Space on the development of next generation space suits, helping to build an Italian way in this cutting-edge field.
Pierfilippo Manieri holds a Laurea in Ingegneria Aeronautica from the University of Rome and a Master in Materials Engineering from the University of Dayton (OH, USA), where he also conducted his thesis research at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
He joined the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1989, serving initially at ESA Headquarters in Paris and subsequently at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands.
Mr. Manieri currently holds the position of Senior Advisor for Microgravity and Robotic Payloads within the Optics, Robotics and Life Science Division, which provides key engineering support to ESA programmes in the fields of instrumentation, automation, robotics and optical systems. He additionally serves as ad-interim Project Manager for the MELiSSA project, dedicated to the development of closed-loop life support systems for long-duration human space exploration missions.
Over a career spanning more than three decades at ESA, Mr. Manieri has directed the procurement and development of an extensive range of scientific experiments — from small-scale payloads to large and complex multi-user facilities — conducted aboard the Space Shuttle, Russian space vehicles and the International Space Station (ISS). His responsibilities have encompassed the full programmatic cycle, from requirements definition through development, integration and in-orbit operations, as well as chairmanship of contract negotiation boards and technical failure investigation boards.
Outside of his professional duties, Mr. Manieri pursues outdoor activities including skiing, running, cycling, hiking, and flying RC model aircrafts.
Pierluigi Di Lizia is Associate Professor of Aerospace Mechanics and Spacecraft Guidance and Navigation at the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology of Politecnico di Milano. His main research areas include space traffic monitoring, space situational awareness, and guidance, navigation, and control of satellites for proximity operations. He has over twenty years of experience in projects involving research institutions and private companies and is co-author of more than 250 scientific publications. He is a member of the Italian Space Agency delegation to the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), serves as a governmental expert for the CapTech Space of the European Defence Agency, and supports the European Commission as an expert in the evaluation of EUSST activities.
Riccardo Marchetto (born in 1976) holds a Master’s degree in Space Business Administration from LUISS University in Amsterdam and has a strong passion for programming. He found in space technologies a powerful tool to tackle one of the most critical challenges of our time: water loss.
He began his space journey in 2014 with Neptune, a startup incubated at ESA BIC, bringing to market an innovative technology based on the analysis of satellite imagery.
His commitment to this field continued with the founding of Cosmic, a new startup and winner of the ESA Startup Competition, which is still active today in water leakage detection through the use of secondary cosmic rays.
Stefano Carosio is the Executive Director of STAM, an SME specializing in space and defence. Graduated in Chemical Engineering in 1994, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Innovation Management in 2012. With over 25 years of experience in engineering consultancy and technological advisory services, he has consistently demonstrated deep expertise in the field. From 1996 to 2016, Mr. Carosio played a pivotal role in the European Space Agency’s technology transfer network, serving as the head of the Italian node.
In 2021, considering his extensive knowledge and capabilities, the European Commission invited him to join its expert group focused on EU policies and programs related to the space, defence, and aeronautics industries. There his work concentrated on technology transfer and synergies. As of today, he continues to play a key role in the technology transfer realm, as STAM is currently operating as Technology Broker for the European Space Agency, while actively contributing to the first « African Business Innovation Lab » in Kenya, within the Africa-EU Space Partnership Program framework.
Dr. Taha Tetik is a senior space systems executive with over two decades of international experience
across the full lifecycle of satellite programs, including GEO communication and LEO Earth observation satellite systems.
He currently serves as Space Systems Programs and Products Director at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), where he leads complex, multi-stakeholder programs spanning system design, manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing (AIT), launch, and in-orbit operations. In this role, he has made significant contributions to TURKIYE’s key space initiatives, including the GOKTURK series electro-optical and SAR Earth observation satellites, as well as the country’s first indigenous
GEO communication satellite, TURKSAT-6A.
Dr. Tetik holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering, with a specialization in satellite reliability optimization, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
President of the Italian Space Agency since June 14th 2023, Full Professor of Materials Science and Technology and Aerospace Materials at Rome University “La Sapienza “.
Education
1989 – Graduated in Mechanical Engineering – Sapienza Università di Roma
1993 – Master in Business Administration – LUISS University of Rome
Previous Assignment
1996-1997, Seconded National Expert to the European Commission – COST Materials
2005-2009, President of the Italian Association on Materials Engineering
2006-2008, Member of the Board of the company Rete Ventures Scarl
2009-2012, member of the Board of the Consortium Sapienza Innovazione, then President
2010 – 2019, Director of the Department of Chemical Materials Environmental Engineering at Rome University “La Sapienza”
2012-2020, President of the Italian Inter-University Consortium on Materials Science and Technology (INSTM)
2013-2023, Member of the Board of the Technological District Matelios Scarl on advanced materials for renewable energies
2016 – 2020, Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer of Sapienza University of Rome
2018-2020, President of the National Competence Centre on Cybersecurity, Cyber4.0
2023 – Director of the National Research Council Institute IPCB (2023, Institute for Polymers Composites and Biomaterials). at Italy’s National Research Council – CNR, served in the Research and Development Directorate of the EU Commission, and held various positions in the private sector. Appointed as President of UN-COPUOS Committee, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) for 2026-2027.
Vincent Lonjou holds a PhD in Astrophysics, Space Science and Technology. Joining CNES in 2008, he has been involved in the design, development, flight testing, and operation of several Earth observation instruments and missions, including IASI, CALIPSO, Spot-7, and Sentinel-2. He then joined CNES’s Earth Observation Laboratory (EO-Lab) to develop EO based downstream applications. He is currently the Technical and Innovation Coordinator for CNES’s Data Campus department.