Space: Italy and France strengthen the European axis

The new space economy is becoming one of the pillars of European industrial policy. It is no longer a sector confined to scientific research or large institutional missions: today it involves strategic security, defence, critical infrastructure, data management, and technological autonomy.

In this context, a new agreement takes shape, signed by Italy’s Minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso and France’s Minister for Higher Education and Research Philippe Baptiste during a visit to the production site of Thales Alenia Space in Cannes.

The agreement updates the document signed in recent months and aims to consolidate a common line between Rome and Paris on the main European space-related dossiers.

At the political level, the message is clear: Italy and France intend to play a central role in building the European Union’s future space capabilities, at a time when global balances are rapidly changing. The United States, China, and major private operators are reshaping timelines, industrial models, and competitive dynamics.

The three dossiers on the table

Three dossiers emerge as central elements of the new shared strategy. The first concerns IRIS², the European project dedicated to secure satellite communications; the second concerns European launch systems, with Vega-C and Ariane 6 considered essential for autonomous access to space; the third is Bromo, the industrial initiative involving Airbus and Leonardo, alongside Thales. It is around these three axes that a significant part of Europe’s space future will be decided.

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