PRESS RELEASE

Appreciated by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco FRATTINI (through a congratulatory message read by Minister Plen. Carlo TREZZA) and by the Minister of Education, University and Research Mariastella GELMINI (wishing success to the new SpaceLand Center of Excellence), the Expo Congress has resulted in an unprecedented series of projects and collaborations for the future of parabolic flights, open to the public, in microgravity and lunar-g/Mars-g conditions as well as for the techno-scientific, educational and economic development of Sardinia.

The event was part of, and endorsed by, the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, with the endorsement of ASI (Italian Space Agency) and several other public institutions and universities.

Within the context of robotic and manned spaceflight programs and its spin-off activities for everyday's life, during the Expo-Congress, innovative works in several science, technology and industrial sectors were presented by national and international scientists, academia (including the Universities of Cagliari, Sassari, Rome -La Sapienza- and the Polytechnics of Milan and Torino), SME and industry representatives, while relevant presentations were made by managers from ESA and the Italian Space Agency on current policies and strategies.

On the first day, a series of bilateral face-to-face meetings got started by an important introductory presentation by Dr. Luigi Fusco of ESA for the E.B.I. program supporting SME incubation and start-ups in particular for technology transfer, involving research centers, corporates, entrepreneurs andacademia, including students from several universities converged at the Congress (ref. Italian law 6/2000 addressing “science public outreach”).

With guests from all over Europe and Asia, day 2 was opened by a key-note lecture by the Minister Plen. Ambassador Carlo Trezza (Ministery of Foreign Affairs) on outer space security aspects, after a congratulatory message read by Carlo Trezza on behalf of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini; afterwards, Prof. Mariano Bizzarri from the Presidency of the Italian Space Agency presented a key-note lecture on aerospace biomedicine and biology, followed by a key-note lecture by Dr. Geraldine Naja of ESA on new policies for Space Tourism.

Besides, within the post-congress B2B meetings, major synergies have been generated for new SMEs and international projects; on top of the potential technology & social-economical benefits for Sardinia, the scientific and educational added-values of the SpaceLand program has also been appreciated by the Italian Minister of Education, University and Research through an official letter sent in, during the event, to SpaceLand President Dr. Eng. Carlo Viberti: in the message, the Minister underlines the great potential of the upcoming “Center of Excellence” SpaceLand in Sardinia for all students, at any age.

NEXT FLIGHT CAMPAIGNS:

• 5-8 NOVEMBER 2009
• 7-10 JANUARY 2010