These figures define the second edition of SPACERAISE, the international school dedicated to space applications of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Geospatial Data, organized by the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) and the Gran Sasso Tech Foundation, and inaugurated this morning in L’Aquila. The ceremony was attended by diplomatic representatives from 15 participating countries, including the Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia and President of IILA, Ligia Margarita Quessep; the Ambassador of the Republic of Costa Rica, Istvan Alfaro Solano, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya, Fredrick Matwang’a, and the Chargé d’affaires of the Argentine Republic, Alicia Silvina Barone.
Following the opening remarks by the Rector of the Gran Sasso Science Institute, Paola Inverardi, institutional greetings were delivered by the Mayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi, the President of the Abruzzo Region, Marco Marsilio, and Senators Guido Liris and Etelwardo Sigismondi
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, also attended the event and stated: “We are experiencing a phase of profound transformation in the space sector. New international dynamics, growing global competition, and rapid technological progress make Space increasingly strategic, requiring governments to take timely and targeted action. It is essential to strengthen international collaborations and promote ambitious academic, technological, and industrial programs capable of ensuring competitiveness, autonomy, and the security of critical infrastructure, while fostering teamwork between institutions, businesses, and research centers. The Space Law, approved by Parliament last year, represents a significant step in the right direction to strengthen the competitiveness of the national industry and better promote the internationalization of space supply chains. In this scenario, Italy can count on a solid tradition in the sector and continues to stand out for its leading role. For example, our country will chair the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) for the 2026-2027 biennium. Space is now a cross-cutting and central issue in our foreign policy, both bilaterally and multilaterally, as well as an increasingly important factor in our development cooperation policies — I am thinking of the African continent, with our ‘Luigi Broglio’ space center in Malindi, Kenya.”
The Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, Guido Crosettosent a message stating: “SPACERAISE 2026 confirms the ambition to create a tangible forum for exchange and positive cross-fertilization between research, industry, and advanced education.”Its continuity for the second consecutive year is an important signal for the space sector: investing in knowledge, dialogue, and skill development means strengthening the country’s ability to face the challenges of a domain with an extremely high rate of innovation. Within this framework, SPACERAISE represents an initiative of great value, contributing to the formation of advanced expertise and supporting innovation by offering concrete tools to tackle new challenges.”, ha inviato un messaggio nel quale si legge: “SPACERAISE 2026 conferma l’ambizione di creare un luogo concreto di incontro e positiva contaminazione tra ricerca, industria e formazione avanzata. La sua continuità, per il secondo anno consecutivo, rappresenta un segnale importante per il settore spaziale: investire nella conoscenza, nel dialogo e nella crescita delle competenze significa rafforzare la capacità del Paese di affrontare le sfide di un dominio ad altissimo tasso di innovazione. In questo quadro, SPACERAISE rappresenta un’iniziativa di grande valore. contribuendo a formare competenze avanzate e a sostenere l’innovazione, offrendo strumenti concreti per affrontare nuove sfide”.
The Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, Il Ministro delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, Adolfo UrsoThe Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, delivered a video message stating: “The themes at the core of this second edition of SPACERAISE — robotics, artificial intelligence, and geospatial data analysis — represent strategic directions for the development of new frontiers in the Space Economy and for our country’s technological competitiveness. This educational program is born within a regional and industrial ecosystem of great value, capable of connecting education, research, and business. The presence in Abruzzo of both top-tier industrial and technological entities, such as Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space, and the Fucino Space Centre, confirms this territory’s vocation as a leader in the growth of the national aerospace supply chain.”
Following the institutional remarks, representatives from space agencies and industry leaders took the floor: Barbara Negri, Deputy Director for Science and Innovation at the Italian Space Agency; Oscar Fredy González, Secretary General of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency; Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy Ceo SVP observation Esploration and Navigation domain at Thales Alenia Space and Ceo Thales Alenia Space Italia; and Massimo Claudio Comparini, Managing Director of Leonardo’s Space Division, Chairman of the Board of Thales Alenia Space, and President of the Assembly of Founders of Gran Sasso Tech.
Francesco Basciani, Scientific Coordinator of SPACERAISE 2026, and Alessandro Pajewski, C.E.O. of the Gran Sasso Tech Foundation, then officially declared the School open.
“The high number of applicants confirms Spaceraise, for the second consecutive year, as a setting where research, industry, and education engage in effective dialogue,” stated Paola Inverardi, Rector of the Gran Sasso Science Institute. “This edition will offer high-level insights into the technologies redefining the space sector, with a particular focus on AI, robotics, and geospatial data analysis within the social sciences. The program’s interdisciplinarity will ensure solid training on the sector’s main challenges and provide a significant opportunity for exchange with experts.”
Fernando Ferroni, President of the Gran Sasso Tech Foundation, stated: “Thanks to the enlightened cooperation between Gran Sasso Tech and our Founders, GSSI and Thales Alenia Space, for the next three weeks L’Aquila will be the chosen location where experts and doctoral students from 61 different nations meet to train, in peaceful collaboration, on the latest developments in innovative technologies, imagining together a shared future for space. We were founded four years ago with great ambitions; today we can say that we play a leading role in the landscape of space research and education.”
The inauguration ceremony concluded with a presentation by Luca Parmitano, ESA Astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station, regarding the next decade of human spaceflight, followed by a keynote speech from Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes at the European Space Research Institute (ESRIN).
The School
SPACERAISE brings together the expertise of the Gran Sasso Science Institute, the Gran Sasso Tech Foundation, and leading industrial partners, combining advanced research with practical applications in the space sector. It is characterised by a multidisciplinary approach involving the GSSI Departments of Computer Science and Social Sciences, the expertise of renowned international faculty, the know-how of major aerospace industries — including Thales Alenia Space Italy and companies from the Abruzzo Aerospace District — and contributions from experts from international space agencies and organisations.
Compared to last year, the new edition broadens the School’s perspective: alongside technologies reshaping the space sector, such as artificial intelligence and robotics, it introduces a module dedicated to geospatial data and its interpretation in the social sciences.
The training program is structured into three intensive one-week modules, each designed to address major technological and application challenges in the space sector:
1. Robotics for Space Applications, dedicated to safe programming and the operation of robots used in space exploration, inspection, and maintenance.
2. Artificial Intelligence for Space, addressing the use of AI onboard satellites for predictive maintenance, image analysis, and anomaly detection.
3. Geospatial Data and Analysis in Social Sciences, focused on leveraging innovative geospatial data sources, including Earth Observation and remote sensing, and state-of-the-art analytical techniques for concrete applications in economics, geography, and urban science.
The second edition of SPACERAISE is funded by SAFI3, a network of advanced training schools in Southern Italy (comprising GSSI, SSC, ISUFI, and SSM) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), and is held under the patronage of the Abruzzo Region.