“Space startups”

Open innovation as an essential pillar of strategy for growth in the space industry is the focus of an article by Massimiliano Del Barba published in Corriere della Sera Login. In recognition of the urgent need for innovation, the European Space Conference hosted the awards ceremony of #T-Tec 2022, a contest held by Leonardo and Telespazio to promote renewal in the space industry by focusing on ideas and design solutions put forward by younger generations.

Egmont Palace in Brussels recently hosted the 15th European Space Conference: an opportunity for top European representatives of the space industry to meet and talk, with a strong focus on the theme of the space economy.

The newspaper article focuses on the #T-Tec 2022 contest, an open innovation initiative centring around the theme of space organised by Leonardo and Telespazio and open to students and researchers all over the world, which became a startup incubator for the first time this year. The awards ceremony for the winning projects in Brussels also had a truly exceptional guest of honour, Samantha Cristoforetti.

The focus article in Il Corriere Login describes the young winners’ projects: from software capable of assessing the probability of collision in orbit and suggesting the best manoeuvres to avoid it, to a project supporting in-orbit servicing with a definite improvement in photorealism, and a study for the creation of an alternative to the electrical power supply system to ensure that satellite manufacturing can maximise its return on investment.

“Research and innovation are the keys to what we do,” emphasised Franco Ongaro, Leonardo’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer. “And in this context, it’s essential to reinforce a model of shared innovation to find solutions that can increase our offering of solutions and products. Initiatives such as #T-TeC help establish a direct link with talented young people, startups and universities. We want to reinforce an open innovation system that is currently represented by Leonardo’s collaboration with more than 90 universities and research centres worldwide, about 400 research projects underway, more than 90 PhD’s financed in 2022, and more than 100 researchers working in Leonardo Labs, the company’s research laboratories for cutting-edge technologies.