The Italian Space Day was held in Stockholm on 23 January 2026. “New opportunities for bilateral scientific and technological cooperation to enhance the space resource” is the topic of the event organized by the Scientific Office of the Italian Embassy.
The Italian Space Day (GNS) is an event established by the Italian Government in 2021 and celebrated by Italian embassies and consulates around the world. It is an opportunity to celebrate Italian and Swedish excellence in space and a message aimed at students, researchers, experts and all people interested in this strategic sector for science, technology and the economy.
After the greetings of Ambassador Michele Pala, who underlined how strengthening bilateral cooperation in the space sector represents a priority in the activities of his Office, the agenda saw the presentation of Clelia Iacomino, Senior Advisor at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Milan, Senior Researcher at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) in Vienna, Italian economist and researcher at Bocconi University and at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) in Milan, expert of the evolution of the space market which has focused its contribution on the market of micro-gravity research and applications. The topic was also addressed by Gunnar Florin, Business expert of the scientific services of the Swedish Space Corporation who described suborbital platforms and systems that make microgravity available for scientific research.
In the next contribution, Francesca Larosa, Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow at the KTH in Stockholm and the University of Zurich, illustrated how the availability of satellite data, combined with sophisticated analysis using artificial intelligence may transform the monitoring of the climate change, studies that will have profound impact on economy, on resilience to extreme events and on the strategic planning of all countries.
Francesco Giuliano, expert in attitude and orbit control systems at OHB Sweden AB, described the COMET Interceptor mission, an unique mission that will be launched to meet a comet or an interstellar body in space.
In an extraordinary flyby scenario the main satellite with two smaller probes will collect multiple observations of the comet and its environment.
The GNS ended with the presentation of Kristine Dannenberg, responsible for space exploration and access to space at the Swedish National Space Agency. She illustrated research program and initiatives aimed at universities, institutes and companies, and the newborn Swedish national school aimed at obtaining the PhD in space activities.
Cooperation between Italy and Sweden in the space sector began many years ago. Strengthening this cooperation will allow us to protect and enhance space, and may guarantee all benefits that Earth observation from space can offer, such as the understanding and mitigation of climate change. National strategies combined with synergistic international partnerships make it possible to stimulate technological progress and are likely to create significant returns to the industrial system.
