The Region of Basilicata is at the center of a Southern European urban region with more than two million inhabitants, which stretches from the Adriatic and Ionic coasts to the Tyrrhenean sea. This major economic region offers an ideal link between Europe and the Mediterranean basin due to its geographic position, trade routes, and political and cultural relations. Basilicata’s points of strength consists of an economic base with a mix of advanced and traditional sectors and of clusters that are internally diversified, integrated with other clusters, and tied to the territory’s backbone of small and medium enterprises. Environmental sustainability is the leitmotif that links Basilicata’s emerging sectors such as renewable energy, biotech and earth observation with its more mature sectors, such as advanced automotive manufacture, agrifood and fossil fuel extraction. Basilicata has an ambition: to train, retain, and attract people and enterprises that show a high degree of global mobility in their location choices. Policies regarding education, training, environment, research and development, and industry are particularly important levers for growth
Between Potenza and Matera, the two main cities of the region, lies a cluster specialized in earth observation and space robotics. A network of enterprises, research centers and university departments are dedicated to satellite technologies, environmental monitoring, seismic research, and the prediction and attenuation of risks related to natural disasters. Over a thousand people work in this cluster, which is nurtured by the Geodesic Space Center, Telespazio, Enea, the University of Basilicata and the National Research Council (CNR).
On 08/06/2012 the Region of Basilicata organized in Matera an International workshop “Smart Specialization of Basilicata in space technologies” Towards a smart specialization in the field of space technology: the contribution of regional policy to Europe 2020”: http://www.antennabruxellesbasilicata.it/antennaBruxelles-cda/site/portal/section.jsp?sec=102057;
On 08/12/ 2010, the Region of Basilicata organized in Brussels, with the patronage of the First Vice President of the European Parliament Mr. Pittella, and of the Chairman of the “Sky and Space” Intergroup of the EP a roundtable on “The experience of the Basilicata Region Earth Observation Cluster and the opportunities of the EU space, research, innovation, environment, security and SME programs”http://www.antennabruxellesbasilicata.it/antennaBruxelles-cda/site/portal/section.jsp?sec=101587;
On 30-31/10/2008, the Region of Basilicata organized in Matera, in the framework of OPEN DAYS 2008, the international Conference “Earth Observation and New Technologies for Environmental Monitoring, Assessment and Management”
http://www.antennabruxellesbasilicata.it/antennaBruxelles-cda/site/portal/section.jsp?sec=100349;
MAIN SPACE ACTORS
- I) Academic and public research centres
1.CNR – National Research Councill – www.cnr.it – www.imaa.cnr.it
It is one of the most important public Italian research organizations. It consists of 11 departments and a network of national institutes distributed all over the Italian territory. One of these national institutes, CNR-IMAA (Institute of Methodologies for the Environmental Analysis), is situated in Tito, an industrial area near Potenza. The scientific activity of IMAA is focused on Earth observation, advanced techniques (in-situ and remote sensing) for environmental monitoring and integrated methodologies for environmental planning. Furthermore, two more sections of CNR national institutes are located in Basilicata (IBAM – Institute for Architectural and Monumental Property – and IMIP – Institute for Inorganic and Plasma Methodologies). CNR-IMAA represents the main concentration of Earth Observation research activities, with more than 140 people working on these topics. CNR-IMAA is presently coordinating EU research and infrastructure projects (e.g. EARLINET, ACTRIS) and is Center of Competence of the National Department of Civil Protection.
2. ENEA – National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment – www.enea.it
It is a public company operating in the fields of energy, environment and new technologies for support of competitiveness and sustainable development. The ENEA Research Centre in Trisaia is situated in Basilicata (Rotondella) and its activities varying from the development of renewable energy sources (biomass and solar thermal), solid and liquid waste treatment technologies to advanced technical and scientific services for innovation and quality in agriculture and industry. The Centre hosts some research Consortia for the transfer of innovation to SMEs.
3. UNIVERSITY OF BASILICATA – www.unibas.it
It has been active in the fields of training and research since 1983. It is located both in Potenza and Matera. Starting from 2013 the University is implementing a new organization with the introduction of six primary structures:
- School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences;
- School of Engineering (SE);
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics;
- Department of Sciences;
- Department of Human Sciences;
- Department of European Cultures and of the Mediterranean: Architecture, Environment, Cultural Heritage (DECEM)
The School of Engineering (SE) is particularly active on the themes of Earth Observation and natural risk mitigation and prevention. Within the University (about 600 researchers and 100 technicians, more than one half as permanent staff) several (30-50) individual researchers (mainly in the Agricultural, Forestry, Geology, departments) are using Space Technology products in their specific field of research. Specific research activities on the development of new ST instruments and data analysis methods are, instead, since its constitution, mostly performed at the School of Engineering. SE research activity has been mostly addressed to the development of new EO instruments and data analysis methods for the study of the Earth surface and atmosphere with important application to meteorology, climatology, monitoring and modeling of major natural, environmental and technological hazards. To these topics are addressed 2 Doctoral Schools (Environmental Engineering, Methods and Technologies for Environmental Monitoring) presently active at SE with about 30 PhD students per years.
4. RELUIS – Network of University Laboratories of Seismic Engineering – www.reluis.it
It is an inter-university consortium which coordinates more than 100 Seismic Engineering laboratories. The main activities are focused on supporting applied research in the seismic risk mitigation.
- BIG COMPANIES AND SMEs
- TELESPAZIO s.p.a. – www.telespazio.it
The Telespazio, Finmeccanica (67%) and Alcatel (33%) joint venture, is a big company playing a leading role in the reference markets applying its technological know-how and experience in satellite management and navigation, broadband multimedia telecommunications and, lastly, Earth observation services. It is also involved in key European space programs Galileo and Cosmo-Skymed.
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E-GEOS www.e-geos.it
The joint venture established by the Italian Space Agency and Telespazio (Finmeccanica/Thales), will put the application products of COSMO-Sky-Med (the satellite system for Earth observation) on the world market. The company, with headquarters in Rome and in Matera, aims at becoming a global leader in the geo-spatial information sector, offering solutions, contents and services based on radar (SAR) and optical high-resolution (VHR) data. -
CREATEC Consortium – www.createc.basilicata.it
It is an association of 20 small and medium-sized enterprises located in Basilicata, it can count on 500 working units and has an annual turnover of 45 M euros. The main aim is the development of innovative services in the fields of ICT, environment, space and security. All this is oriented towards consumers.
- Spin-off companies?
III) CLUSTERS
- TeRN Consortium – www.tern.it
It aims at opening in Basilicata a technological district in the field of Earth observation and natural dangers. The main activities are focused on: - the development and the integration of technologies for Earth observation from ground-bases, aircrafts and via satellite in order to monitor, forecast and prevent natural risks;
- the development of innovative technologies to safeguard architectural property and possessions;
- the verification of civil buildings in the areas with a high seismic and hydro-geological risk (with particular interest for non-destructive techniques for structural diagnosis and buildings damaged by seisms);
- and, lastly, the implementation of ICT and GRID technologies for sharing different data and managing them in inter-operable systems in Earth Observation applications. TeRN partners (ARPAB, CNR-IMAA, RELUIS, Telespazio S.pA. and CREATEC) are largely involved in the European Framework Programmes (FP6, FP7, GMES and ESA).
- IMPRESAMBIENTE s.c. a r.l. – www.cct-impresambiente.com
It is a network consisting of Universities, research centres, SMEs and big companies of South Italy. The network is built-up by 6 Regional Nodes: Basilicata (main node), Calabria, Campania, Apulia, Sardinia and Sicily. The main activities are focused on innovation and technological distribution in the fields of environmental risk, networking between Research-Enterprises-Information, Enterprise training and Public Administration in the field of environmental risk .
- IV) PUBLIC BODIES AND NATIONAL AGENCIES
1. ARPAB – Regional Environment Protection Agency of Basilicata – www.arpab.it
The main activities carried out by ARPAB are synthesized in the development of methodologies aimed at managing the environmental data, promoting environmental sustainability, identifying the sources of environmental impact caused by human activity, monitoring the state of the environment from the quality levels of different matrices (water, air, soil,…), supporting Public Administration from a technical point of view in order to improve the state of the environment, and, lastly, creating a network between Regional and National Agencies of Environment for monitoring air quality and natural resources.
2. ASI – Italian Space Agency – www.asi.it
Its mission is to promote and coordinate both Italian Spatial Research and technological activity. The Centre for Space Geodesy (CGS), which opened in Matera in 1983 thanks to the joined effort of the CNR (National Space Plan), the Basilicata Regional Authority and NASA, is a structure 5000 m² large where about 100 people work today, with a 10 million budget for year. Mainly focused on Earth observation through advanced spatial techniques (space geodesy and remote sensing) and observation methodologies (geodetic satellite laser telemetry or SLR, radio-interferometer on a very long basis or VLBI, GPS positioning, PRARE orbital tracing). CGS has recently been dealing with other fields, in particular space robot technology and interplanetary missions. The Centre, which is also part of the International Laser Ranging Services, has developed the COSMO-SkyMed system (a constellation of four satellites using a high-resolution radar for Earth observation during the day and night, regardless of the weather conditions, for civil and military use) together with the Ministry of Italian Defence.
