Space: Cooperation as a tool for economic, scientific and cultural progress

A seminar on "Space Cooperation as a tool for economic, scientific and cultural progress" was held at and organized by the Brazilian Embassy in Rome, in collaboration with the Italo-Latin American Institute (IILA), aimed at allowing the Italian and Brazilian institutions to compare their mutual knowledge in the field of Space Cooperation.

The Ambassador of Brazil in Italy, Antonio de Aguiar Patriot, welcomed the participants, then the seminar followed with the salutation addresses by the Secretary General of IILA, Donato Di Santo, and the Director General for the Promotion of the Country System, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - MAECI, Vincenzo De Luca.

The one-day seminar comprised 4 different thematic sessions:

• International Cooperation in Space Matters and Space Diplomacy
• Space Economy and Space Industry
• Innovation in space and opportunities for cooperation
• Other applications of Space Cooperation: Environmental, Agricultural and Cultural.

All scheduled sessions were moderated by Ezio Bussoletti, coordinator of the Space Roundtable - National Research Program (NRP) of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research – (MIUR).

The last session, "Other applications of Space Cooperation: Environmental, Agricultural and Cultural", was attended by Stefano Laporta, President of the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research - ISPRA, Sergio Marchisio, Professor at the University of Rome "La Sapienza", Nicola Masini, Researcher of the National Research Council – CNR, and Angiola Desiderio, Researcher of ENEA.

Dr. Desiderio illustrated the ENEA technologies related to hydroponic cultivation and their application in space missions. Prof. Bussoletti, congratulating with her for the illustrated work, reminded the seminar participants how ENEA can boast a long-standing experience in the field of applied research in agriculture, since the ‘60s with Creso wheat selected by ENEA and now spread all over the world.

The seminar concluded with the speeches by Colonel Reginald Pontirolli, Attaché for Defense and Aviation of Brazil, Prof. Bussoletti and Dr. Florencia Paoloni, Technical-Scientific Secretary of IILA.