Italy Space Industry
Italy’s diversified and sophisticated space industry has an annual turnover of $2.4 billion. The country’s 200 enterprises, 12 technology clusters, and three national industrial associations are driving advances in human spaceflight and exploration, supporting a tracking and data relay satellite system, and contributing to international missions in term of orbiting, equipment and surface elements. These missions include Mars Express, MRO, JUNO, ExoMars TGO, InSight, DART, Cheops, Solar Orbiter, ExoMars 2022, Mars 2020, SLS EM1, Dart, Juice, Plato 2026 and Ariel 2028.
The Italian Space Agency is a signatory country to the Artemis Accords, the United States-led program to bring the first woman and the next man to the moon. As such Italy will be seeking to work with NASA on a variety of programs going forward, including the first mission of the Space Launch System (with the small ArgoMoon satellite), to the Lunar Gateway project (HALO, Habitation And Logistics Outpost) driving the European Ihab.
New opportunities will be created under the Artemis program that will include three main areas for which Italy is actively negotiating contracts with NASA: building crew habitation for the lunar surface, conduct of scientific experiments on the lunar surface, and providing communications technology for the project.
Additionally, initiatives under the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) program, European Defense Agency, NATO and the European Defense Industrial Development Program may produce opportunities for partnership between Italian and American industries in the areas of Air Launch Capability, High Altitude Airship, and Suborbital Flight and Commercial Spaceflight.
The Italian Government’s proposed Recovery Plan includes about $15 billion for the aerospace and defense industries, mainly for large programs. For the Space economy, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) has included $1.2 billion for public-private partnerships. The goal is to strengthen the national aerospace, defense and security industrial chain.
U.S. companies with sophisticated materials and technology may find opportunities in Italy and other European markets with active space industries. When considering entry to the Italian market, important to note is that the Italian government does not typically purchase goods and services abroad unless they cannot be procured locally through domestic sources, which would include subsidiaries, branches and agents/distributors of U.S. companies. In order to be considered as a source for Italian government purchases, we recommend that U.S. firms be established locally or represented by an agent/distributor in Italy or other EU country.
US entrepreneurs interested in connecting with Italian industry players, seeking representation and information on how the U.S. Commercial service can assist U.S. companies should reach out to Maria.Calabria@trade.gov