Leonardo, Comparini: 'In Italy the space economy is worth 2.8 billion'

The value of the Italian space economy is in the region of 2.7-2.8 billion euro. These are the words of Massimo Comparini, director of Leonardo's space division and president of Thales Alenia Space, who from 14 to 18 October will be busy at the 'International Astronautical Congress' in Milan, an international congress for the space sector that will be attended by over 10,000 stakeholders in the sector from all over the world.

While recognising that this figure may seem relatively modest, Comparini, speaking to the Nova agency, emphasised 'the strategic importance of the sector, which goes far beyond its direct economic value'. The manager compared the space economy to Italian wine exports, which are worth around 7 billion, to highlight the potential for growth. "The relevance of the space sector," he explained, "lies not only in its economic value, but also in its enabling capacity for other sectors and its role in 'space diplomacy', citing the US-Italian space dialogue as an example, and emphasising the sector's importance for technological collaboration and international relations.

Italy, according to Comparini, 'has significantly increased its investment in the European Space Agency (Esa), reaching EUR 3.08 billion at the last ministerial meeting in Paris in November 2022'. The amount 'is comparable to the investments of France (3.15 billion) and Germany (3.3 billion), positioning Italy among the main contributors to the Esa'. Comparini also highlighted the steady growth of Italian investments, which rose from 1.35 billion in 2016 to 2.35 billion in 2019, up to the current figure, noting that, excluding investments in launchers (a French priority), "Italy invests more than France in other space sectors". Comparini also highlighted the fragmentation of the German space industry compared to that of Italy and France, suggesting that Italy could have a competitive advantage in terms of industrial return on investment.