The Busalla Space Festival (Festival dello Spazio di Busalla) takes place in Villa Borzino, a 19th-century aristocratic residence located very close to the train station of Busalla, in the Ligurian province of Genoa. Thanks to the direction of Franco Malerba, the first Italian astronaut and a native of Busalla, it has become a highly anticipated annual event on the Italian space calendar.
Since 2017, the Festival has been a national reference point for space culture. It is a high-disclosure meeting place for scientists and scholars to talk about their projects, and it is open to those who want to learn about the challenges of exploring the cosmos, the economic spin-offs and the Italian commitment to space without necessarily being an “insider".
The 2025 edition
Now in its ninth edition, the Festival continues to offer educational exhibits, pedagogical demos, audiovisuals and interactive games that are always new, and above all offers listening and meeting with the protagonists of space activities - through lectures and thematic panels involving speakers from the ASI, ESA, Academia, Research and Industry, capable of making even complex concepts understandable.
This year's themes are multifaceted and interpret topical issues.
The first day, July 3, will feature the participation of the DOPE Aerospace association of students from the faculties of Physics and Engineering at the University of Genoa, who have embarked on the development of aerospace projects, with entrepreneurial ambitions, under the sponsorship of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce.
The opening day, July 4, will be dedicated to the Space Economy and features a multiplicity of conversations and panels, piloted by Anilkumar Dave, addressing the “Space Economy” phenomenon from different angles of view: from the global geopolitical scenario and the new national space law to the innovation support initiatives of national and regional governments, with outstanding speakers such as Massimo Comparini of Leonardo, Marcello Spagnulo, Comint advisor and Limes columnist, Alberto Gusmeroli, speaker in the House on Space Law, and Alessio Piana, councillor for economic development of Regione Liguria. Among the panel speakers, Leo Italiano will offer the experience and vision of I3P and ESA BIC Turin about the growth of new space ventures in Italy and beyond.
On Exploration Day, July 5, the Festival will address "the return of Homo Sapiens to the Moon to stay”, with guidance from Piero Bianucci, and offer a review of the industrial architecture of vehicles being developed in Italy and around the world to equip the return to the Moon. It will then look at proposals from science, architecture and industry for future space habitats. The same day will feature four deep-tech space start-ups and SMEs on the main stage, among which Alpha Impulsion and Deplotic, together with Space V.
The last day, July 6, is scheduled to feature the awarding of the prize competition organized by the Space Festival Association and, above all, the presentation of the Honorary Citizenship of Busalla to Amalia Ercoli Finzi, a lifetime achievement award to the “Lady of the Comets”, who has given so much luster to Italy and also to the Festival with her lectures in past years.
Participation to the Festival is free for everyone. More information is available on its official website (in Italian language) and on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.
