FIRST EDITION OF “ITALIAN NATIONAL SPACE DAY” IN WASHINGTON

The “National Space Day” was inaugurated by the Italian Government in 2020 to draw attention to the Italian contribution to the space sector. It is scheduled every year on 16 December to celebrate the launch of the satellite programme San Marco I, which established Italy as the third country (after the USA and the Soviet Union) to operate a space launch.

The Italian Space Agency has decided to gather (and advertise) the events of the official calendar of celebrations which include, for the first time, an online event organised by the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce.

In 2022, the Italian Embassy in Washington decided to organise the first edition of the Italian National Space Day, designed to promote the Italian aerospace industry as well as showcasing regional clusters. The event was held on 15 December, the day of the historic launch of the first Italian-built satellite, San Marco 1.

Activity

The celebration of National Space Day in Washington was a great overall success and reverberated across social media and in the U.S. press. More than 450 people signed up to the app, which is used to manage enrolments and create the network of contacts, while more than 350 people took part in seminars/workshops and B2B activities organised during the day.

The event was also an opportunity to gather together the main stakeholders of the sector as well as experts in Ecosystems for Space (such as Kevin O’Connell, who led the Space Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce for about 40 years).

The participation of the DT3A Alpe Adria Technological district region (even though not officially or with an institutional representative) gave the opportunity to present the initiative (and region) to some of the highest-level representatives of the White House.

In a conversation with the Italian ambassador Mariangela Zappia, the CT3A (Alpe Adria Technological Cluster) initiative was presented, on the wishes of the region, to enhance intrinsic characteristics and also to open the gateway to new sectors and markets. The aforementioned ambassador mentioned the new institutional mission that Governor Fedriga (whom she had personally welcomed a few weeks earlier) will pursue in the United States, and suggested also including Space as a topic of discussion.  

The participation of the advisor of the Cluster Promotion Board in one of the panels provided an opportunity to promote the initiative and discuss best practices for the creation of a Space Ecosystem while mentioning the current situation in the FVG Region. The subsequent late-night connection during the live online session within the main event organised at the offices in Gorizia provided feedback on what is happening in the United States and some first impressions.