On January 26, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) convened an international gathering in Turin, Italy, at the Palace Asinari di San Marzano, the headquarters of Italian satellite manufacturer Space Industries, to launch AIAA's new representation for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. The event was participated by ESA BIC Turin, the incubation program run by I3P in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation.
"As the world's largest aerospace professional institute, AIAA is building deeper connections across the global aerospace community. This event highlights the value of transatlantic dialogue and shared technical expertise. Local engagement matters. Our presence in EMEA allows us to serve regional priorities and strengthen relationships that support aerospace supply chains and innovation across borders", said Clay Mowry, CEO of AIAA.
The gathering, attended by representatives from government institutions and industry, included remarks from Giuseppe Santangelo, Chief Executive Officer of Space Industries. "We are proud to host AIAA at our headquarters, as this partnership aligns with the long-term vision of Space Industries. The space market is changing fast, with new commercial players and visionary companies relying on space data for business. We are pleased to collaborate with AIAA because our ambition goes beyond serial satellite manufacturing to support a connected, collaborative, and industrially mature commercial space ecosystem", said Santangelo.
The program included a panel titled "Cross-Atlantic Synergies for Space Innovation in a Changing World". The discussion examined how the space sector is rapidly evolving beyond its traditional boundaries and increasingly interacting with diverse non-space industries. Panelists included Luisella Giulicchi (ESA), Clay Mowry (AIAA), Maria Antonietta Perino (Thales Alenia Space Italy), and Alessandra Vernile (ASI). The speakers highlighted the opportunities for cross-sector integration, as well as the challenges created by geopolitical shifts. The panel emphasized strong transatlantic collaboration as a foundation for building a resilient marketplace capable of accelerating innovation and ensuring long-term sustainable development in space.
During the event, AIAA welcomed three new Corporate Members from the region. "We are proud to welcome Space Industries, GENERGO, and Kurs Orbital to the AIAA family. Their participation reflects the growing interest of European and international organizations in engaging with AIAA's global network of researchers, engineers, innovators, and industry leaders", added Mowry.
Kurs Orbital is an Italian start-up aiming to democratise in-orbit servicing and space logistics markets with its innovative ARCap module, which is a standardised rendezvous module designed to enable any spacecraft to autonomously perform rendezvous and docking manoeuvres, including with non-cooperative targets. Since 2022, the start-up has been incubated in I3P, the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, within the ESA BIC Turin incubation program.
In addition, AIAA formalized two strategic collaborations by signing Memoranda of Understanding with Women in Aerospace Europe (WIA-Europe) and Associazione Italiana di Aeronautica e Astronautica (AIDAA). The agreements reinforce AIAA's commitment to promoting international cooperation, supporting diversity in aerospace, and strengthening scientific and professional exchange between global communities.
The institute's efforts in the EMEA region will be led by Davide Petrillo and Martina Bruno, based in Turin.
