Taking place from June 29th to July 2nd, 2023, the Festival dello Spazio (Space Festival) of Busalla - a small town located in the province of Genoa, Italy - is a unique opportunity in Italy to share the outcomes, projects and 'visions' of one of the most fascinating adventures in scientific research. Now in its seventh year, attended and supported by important institutions and industrial realities linked in various ways to the space universe, the Festival is an event open to all, where one can 'touch with one's own hands' the extraordinary history of the exploration of the cosmos and discuss in public its present and future prospects.
The Festival has a well-established architecture: the "Spacebook" review of books about space, the Space Economy construction sites, the competition for an interdisciplinary space paper dedicated to young scholars, the scientific space theme modulated in its various facets by distinguished speakers from all over Italy and beyond, exhibitions, conferences, performances and historical celebrations.
The scientific theme of the seventh edition of the Festival is "Inhabiting Space". The programme builds on the commitment of the US Administration and NASA to "return to the Moon to stay", to which many countries, including Italy, have adhered. It focuses on ongoing scientific research into the prospects for exploration on the Moon's surface on the track of research and industrial development programmes involving our country.
A focus on Space Economy
Space economy is one of the most promising development sectors of the world economy in the coming decades, galloping on the wings of the conversion to digital by providing satellite networks on which new services grow. Born in the USA thanks to the impetus of incentivising government policies, visionary entrepreneurs and endless venture capital, it is beginning to spread in Europe. The economic resources dedicated by the Italian Space Agency have tripled in the last four months, and this opens up many opportunities for new companies and businesses that are not strictly 'space-related'.
As has now become a tradition, this year too the extensive session that the Festival dedicates to the Space Economy takes stock of the state of the art in Italy of this important technological and business trend, involving agencies, large and small industries, venture capital and regional associations.
The event day of Friday, June 30th is entirely dedicated to the Space Economy. In the morning, from 11.30 AM (CEST), there will be the panel "Space Economy scenario in Italy: the protagonists' perspective". In the afternoon, from 2.30 PM, the meeting "Space Economy: space for enterprises" - divided in its 3 panels "Tools and organisations supporting the Space Economy", "The Italian industrial scenario and new ideas", "Regional initiatives in the space field" - will involve Leo Italiano, Program Manager of ESA BIC Turin, as a key speaker about the ESA incubation program for space start-ups on the Italian territory.
To read the full event programme and to register for free to join it in presence, visit the official website of the Space Festival.
