The Future of Lazio Region Aerospace presented at Sat Expo 2008
Filas participated in SAT EXPO EUROPE (March 27-29, 2008). The International Fair for Space and Advanced Telecommunications is the most important Italian event on Space and Space-related applications.
The Lazio Region boasts one of the top global space clusters with an annual turnover of 5 billion euro, thirty thousand employees and a vast supply chain that includes 250 companies that are vital subjects in their area of competence, 15 technological research and technology centres and 5 universities.
Claudio Mancini, Regional Councillor for Economic Development, Research, Innovation and Tourism, and Flaminia Saccà, Filas President, participated in the opening conference on “Aerospace Development and Geopolitical Strategies.” In their presentations, they illustrated the regional actions implemented to promote and support this fundamental productive sector that includes satellite navigation systems (safety and emergency), telecommunications (networks, interactive TV) and medical electronics (space medicine, robotics).
In particular, Filas was also present with a stand to present four important initiatives: the Lazio Region Aerospace District, the Galileo Test Range, SIDEREUS and Lazio Connect.
The Lazio Region Aerospace District (DTA) is the first of its kind in Italy and was created in 2004 by the Lazio Region, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of University and Research. The DTA conducts research and development activities that have lead to the creation of the Galileo Test Range (GTR). The GTR is the national laboratory for experimentation with the signal of the European Galileo satellite constellation, a vital iniziative for planetary environmental safeguard and the prevention and management of catastrophes, emergency situations, safety and quality of life.
Project SIDEREUS aims to increase economic cooperation between Europe and Asia, while encouraging growth and transnational agreements in Lazio and promoting mutually beneficial economic co-operation relationships between European and Asian SMEs and larger companies in the aerospace sector, with a special focus on GALILEO-based satellite navigation applications. The project will involve 160 Asian SMEs from China, India and ASEAN countries and 140 European SMEs.
Lazio Connect is a technical and organisational platform that will allow Filas to create a network for uniting enterprises, universities and research centres and promote processes of collaborative innovation and increase the ability of regional actors to create products and services for new markets.
Filas President Flaminia Saccà emphasised that “Filas has been appointed to manage and coordinate the Lazio Aerospace Technological District and implement a programme of strategic development initiatives for over 60 million euro. This means that Filas’ work is highly valued for the innovation it catalyses throughout the territory, strengthening the identity and creation of a network capable of moulding enterprise and research. The DTA and, in particular, the GTR significantly strengthen the role of Lazio in terms of research and high technology and make it a point of reference for all of Italy.”
