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Programme

Space and Underwater 2026
New Space Economy, Submarine Cables & Cybersecurity

Third edition | 1 December 2026
Italian Space Agency • Luigi Broglio Auditorium
Via del Politecnico snc, Rome

09:00 – Registration and welcome coffee

09:30 – Opening Session

  • Opening remarks

Space and seabed in Italian and European strategy

  • Individual institutional speech
  • Interviews
  • Keynote speech

Plenary session: European strategic autonomy and the New Space Economy

Industrial policies, dual-use technologies and European instruments to strengthen the space supply chain. The role of institutions in fostering a competitive ecosystem and cooperation between defence and the civilian sector.

  • Panel discussion

Plenary session: Submarine cables and connectivity for critical infrastructure security

Protection of digital backbones and underwater infrastructure, seabed surveillance and sabotage prevention. The contribution of the National Underwater Dimension Hub to resilience and innovation.

  • Introduction
  • Panel discussion
  • Concluding remarks

Plenary session: Defence and cybersecurity from orbit to the seabed

Hybrid threats, security of space and underwater infrastructure, and coordination among the armed services. Network protection, operational continuity and cooperation between civilian and military authorities.

  • Speech
  • Panel discussion
  • Concluding remarks

13:10-14:15 – Networking lunch

14:30-16:30 – Thematic roundtables

Room 1

Strategies, governance and sustainability

Roundtable 1 – Independent European access to space: strategies and benefits

Independent access to space is a strategic driver of European sovereignty, security and competitiveness. This roundtable will examine the political, industrial and financial choices needed to ensure reliable and competitive launch capabilities, highlighting Italy’s contribution. The discussion will explore the relationship between autonomy and international cooperation, assessing the benefits for institutions, businesses and citizens.

Key topics

  • Launch capabilities, infrastructure and services: European priorities and Italy’s role.
  • Governance, investment, and public and private demand to ensure continuity of access to space.
  • Industrial competitiveness, innovation and reduced strategic dependencies.
  • International cooperation and the economic and environmental sustainability of launch activities.

Objectives
Identify the conditions for autonomous, sustainable and competitive European access to space, clarifying the responsibilities of public and private stakeholders and the opportunities for the Italian supply chain.

Expected outcomes
A summary of strategic priorities and major challenges, together with proposals concerning investment, public procurement instruments and industrial partnerships, including an initial distinction between short- and medium-term actions.

Roundtable 2 – Underwater activities: regulation for technological development and sustainability

The development of underwater activities requires a regulatory framework that supports innovation, protects ecosystems and ensures infrastructure security. Starting with the “Musumeci” law, the roundtable will examine how to establish coherent governance of the underwater domain, balancing the needs of research, industry, defence and environmental protection. Particular attention will be paid to coordination between the national dimension and international cooperation.

Key topics

  • Powers, responsibilities and coordination among civilian, military and scientific authorities.
  • Rules for testing and deploying autonomous vehicles, drones, robotics and underwater sensors.
  • Technical standards, certification, data sharing and operator liability.
  • Ecosystem protection, impact monitoring and management of competing uses of marine space.
  • Protection and maintenance of submarine infrastructure.

Objectives
Identify regulatory priorities and define strategies to encourage investment and experimentation, clarify authorisation procedures, and integrate security and sustainability into technological development.

Expected outcomes
A prioritised map of regulatory and governance issues requiring further examination, with proposals for shared standards, controlled trials and coordination mechanisms among institutions, industry and research organisations.

Room 2

Security, infrastructure and technologies

Roundtable 3 – How can Italy’s space supply chain accelerate the New Space Economy?

Turning Italian space expertise into new industrial opportunities and services is the central challenge of this roundtable. The discussion will examine how to strengthen links among large companies, SMEs, startups, universities and research centres, accelerating the transition from research to market. Attention will focus on both space technologies and infrastructure and on applications of satellite data and services, including those for maritime and underwater domains.

Key topics

  • Supply-chain integration and access to industrial opportunities for SMEs and startups.
  • Technology transfer, in-orbit demonstration and commercialisation of solutions.
  • Capital, public and private demand, and public–private partnership models.
  • Satellite applications for communications, Earth observation, logistics and maritime monitoring.
  • Skills, talent attraction and access to international markets.

Objectives
Identify barriers to business growth and measures to enhance the Italian supply chain’s capacity to generate innovation, attract investment and acquire customers.

Expected outcomes
A selection of priority actions for supply-chain development, a map of application opportunities, and proposals for demonstration projects and partnerships, identifying potential promoters and the conditions needed to launch them.

Roundtable 4 – Artificial intelligence and frontier technologies for defence and cybersecurity in the space and underwater domains

Space and underwater environments present security challenges requiring observation, analysis and intervention capabilities in complex, hard-to-access settings. This roundtable will explore the contribution of artificial intelligence and frontier technologies to protecting systems, infrastructure and services. The discussion will address both operational opportunities and vulnerabilities introduced by automation and interconnection, taking account of the distinctive features of the two domains.

Key topics

  • AI for data analysis, anomaly detection and decision support.
  • Robotics, drones, autonomous systems and advanced sensors for surveillance and inspection.
  • Cybersecurity of satellites, ground segments, networks and underwater systems.
  • Data integrity, algorithm reliability and human oversight.
  • Resilient communications and cross-domain information integration.
  • Cooperation among defence, industry and research for testing and validation.

Objectives
Define priority use cases and the security, reliability and interoperability requirements for adopting these technologies, distinguishing solutions ready for testing from longer-term research prospects.

Expected outcomes
A selection of use cases and risk scenarios, an initial set of shared requirements, and proposals for joint trials, exercises and pilot projects to assess effectiveness and resilience.

Summary of discussions and closing remarks

Moderators and organisers will present the priorities emerging from the panels and thematic roundtables.

16:45 – Conference closes