Roberto Battiston
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ISSN 2038-2596 NOVARA Export supports growth LECCO & SONDRIO The courage of a gamble Special RESEARCH&INNOVATION The keys for development COUNTRY SYSTEM Food-farming as flywheel for growth THE COVER Roberto Battiston Editorial production: New Business Media – Via Eritrea, 21- 20157 Milano – Quarterly year 10 issue 28 - July 2017 Complimentary copy with today’s Il Sole 24 Ore – Nat. Conv./304/2008 of 1 June 2008 of Conv./304/2008 Nat. 24 Ore – Il Sole Milano – Quarterly21- 20157 ViaJuly 2017 Complimentary28 - year 10 issue Eritrea, with today’s Media – production: New Business Editorial copy GB_pl_Icop_Luglio2017.indd 1 28/06/17 14:55 The cover There’s space for all Roberto Battiston, president of Asi: “Italia is state-of-the-art in the aerospace sector” f daily earthly vicissitudes - in Italia but cer- tainly not only – are often marked by political Istrife and opposing factions, there is a fi eld se- emingly made on purpose for everyone to agree: space. What happens above our heads, beyond the clouds and amongst the planets, attracts and com- pacts: just as public opinion followed the feats of astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti with trepidation, a couple of years ago, in the same way in last May the Senate passed a bill, almost unanimously (two sole abstentions) to reorganize aerospace policies and provide for the creation of a special inter-mi- nisterial committee. Acting as “coordinator” of the various components in the sector, comprising the fundamental world of industry, will continue to be Asi, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana-Italian Aerospa- ce Agency, but with greater operational potential than in the past. “Which will enable us to increa- se our role as the system’s architect: Asi will be an effective instrument to implement the strategies and governance lines in the space sector, with the appropriate competences and emergent technolo- gies, at the same time satisfying the needs of the world of production and research, which will gain Roberto Battiston was appointed president of Agenzia Spaziale Italiana in May 2014 by the Minister for Education, Universities and Research, Stefania Giannini. Born in Trento, graduated with honours in Physics at the Normale Pisa university; already professor of Experimental Physics at Trento University, he was president of the INFN II Commission for Astroparticle Physics and a member of the Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Application, the new INFN National Centre. “I was purely a researcher in the Particle Physics sector for 35 years – says the president – then I became engaged with space, in particular on subjects linked with substances and anti-substances. And I have two crucial questions very much at heart: on the one side, the role played by research as an instrument for growth and development; on the other, the relationship between space and the productive world”. 10 July 2017 PLATINUM PLATINUM July 2017 11 GB_pl_040_Coverstory.indd 10 14/07/17 13:51 GB_pl_040_Coverstory.indd 11 14/07/17 13:51 Roberto Battiston with Chun Li Bai Final ConfigurationConfi guration of ISS Cassini Saturn in strength”. Words pronounced by a consolidated idea that against an launching, or that an enterprise li- Roberto Battiston, number one at investment worth one Euro in the ke Avio – producing the Vega sa- Asi will grow Asi: understandably enthusiastic space sector, returns can be 6-8 ti- tellite launcher – is already quoted about the ongoing legislative evo- mes as much”. And Italian indust- on the stock exchange: a tangible this way lution, also because he personally ry realized this quite a while ago, demonstration that space projects, put in a lot effort to speed up this if it is true that in several sectors it if carried out well, can gain impor- Set up in 1988, Agenzia Spaziale process, right from his nomination has gained highly profi table results tant results”. If the Italian industry Italiana is a national public orga- as president 3 years ago. “The law in the last decade. Not only in the ranks high in aerospace research, nization now supervised by Miur, currently in the progress of being said communication sector but al- it is also owed to the researchers’ operating in collaboration with passed now affords Asi opportuni- so for exploring space: for example, education. In short, we are talking other various ministries. But the ties similar the ones of an organiza- many of the cargos currently sold about universities and here again recent legislative amendments tion like Cnes in Francia: it demon- by Italia to Stati Uniti are “Made the president praises: we have go- provide a measure to strengthen strates that in Italia they realized in Italy”. Italia is also world leader od-level universities, important de- the structure. “We shall sub- to have a valid instrument, able in building synthetic radars for sa- partments not only in Roma, but stantially increase our facilities, to effectively manage tellites, able to see the also in various Italian cities, from in terms of technical as well as a complete chain such earth through clouds north to south. Many faculties of- quantitative competences – ex- as the aerospace one. and in the dark: tools fer a good education in engineering plains the president -. Today we And it is an important enabling for example or astrophyiscs specialized in aero- are 240 persons; we must grow indicator of change”. So a radar analysis of the space, and there are likewise nu- at a strategic, administrative and space is also a produc- earth’s crust able to di- merous excellent Master courses, monitoring capacity level”. An in- tion chain; better still, The stinguish, in terms of attended by many, giving students Vega VV04 crease by about a hundred pe- in Battiston’s opinion, cover agriculture, the zones the possibility to grow: we oursel- ople is foreseen in a three-year it is a highly important more or less wet or cul- ves, as Asi, support a few of them. period: “But we will not become compartment for our country and tivated. “And we also want to pro- Our young people leave in great sector like aerospace. What Batti- belongs to everybody, a bit becau- an organization doing its own bound to develop. “Considering gress in innovative sectors such as number and are well prepared, and ston says actually provides an addi- se it’s fragile, easy to damage and research, but will indeed remain that it is now quite normal to talk hyper spectral imaging (i.e. the op- our industry has considerable ca- tional element to the leading que- is difficult to maintain what works an agency, with the necessary about space economy – enough to tical sphere applied to many diffe- pacity to absorb them in this sec- stion according to which space is a well. The power of space, its con- scienti c competences and re- think about the commercial exploi- rent bands) because we know it is tor: businesses seek competences less conflictual field than earth ... temporary fragility, renders it a lationships with universities and tation of satellite data – it should be an very important world, likely to and outstanding personalities. In a “It’s true, in space there is a much sphere in which we move with a other research organizations. said straight away that Italia boasts have a substantial economic re- word, in this sector the young peo- higher rate of cooperation between great capacity to make of it a ter- The role played by Asi must re- substantial fi gures in this sector. We turn”, points out the president. ple go abroad to specialize and le- nations, remaining intact even in rain for diplomacy and common in- main that of nancing, stimula- are talking about approximately six Then there is the most “epic” and arn, but can return and find their periods of greater crisis on earth. terests, in an environment we must ting and supporting those with thousand direct operators and tur- enthralling aspect, space missions: place in Italia far better than in any In space stations, or during mis- not mistreat. In a word, I am not the will and capacity for research nover worth 1 billion 700 million, and here again Battiston promotes other industrial sector”. Reciprocal sions, collaboration of the countri- a gullible person, but I truly belie- in the aerospace sector”. in addition to a considerable num- Italia. “Enough to stress that we knowledge and cooperation betwe- es involved knows no boundaries: ve that space is a natural peacema- ber of allied activities. It is by now have arrived at the ninth successful en nations is anyhow essential in a a bit because space intrinsically ker”. 12 July 2017 PLATINUM PLATINUM July 2017 13 GB_pl_040_Coverstory.indd 12 14/07/17 13:51 GB_pl_040_Coverstory.indd 13 14/07/17 13:51 Communication project by Gaetano Ferretti research&innovation esearch&innovation tion research&innovr tion research&innovation The keys to development Networking with institutions and enterprises in other esearch&innovation countries, an essential condition to realize European r projects as well as to gain access to funds esearch&innov r 70 LuglioJuly 20162017 PLATINUM PLATINUM LuglioJuly 2017 2016 71 GB_pl_921_Ricerca_AP GRAFICA RICERCA.indd 70 17/07/17 15:10 GB_pl_921_Ricerca_AP GRAFICA RICERCA.indd 71 17/07/17 15:10 to work together without engaging in self-referential researches. Again, in this case, I repeat that the mo- Research& re cooperation, even between com- panies, the more the effect is be- Innovation nefi cial to everyone. We need very strong values, even transnational ones, through which the industry can be noticed by the university, and at the same time investing di- The role of Italia according rectly in training”. The Italian indu- stry is largely small-medium in size to the president of the but is often at the forefront in parti- cular niche sectors.