The Veneto Region, with a surface area of 18.378 km2, is the 8th largest region of Italy. Its borders cover a total of 1.104 Km, 909 of which are land and 195 coast. Thanks to a great variety of physical characteristics it is the “most complete” region of Italy.
It has developed major competences in the field of environmental monitoring and planning, integrating traditional observing networks with new tools from satellite observing systems.
It counts four universities: Ca’ Foscari and IUAV in Venice, Padua and Verona. The University of Padua boasts one of the oldest departments of Astronomy and hosts the Center of Studies and Activities for Space (CISAS) which promotes studies and research in astronomy and astrophysics, geodynamics, space navigation, geodesy. The Institute of Marine Science (CNR-ISMAR) has a wide experience in ground truthing of satellite images. CORILA, a consortium formed by the universities of Venice (Ca’ Foscari, IUAV) and Padua, the CNR and the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysic, is a research centre with technical and scientific know-how on the Venice lagoon monitoring. Veneto territory counts, as well, a Copernicus Relay and a Copernicus Academy with the IEST European Institute for Technology Development They are the voice, but also the eyes and the ears, of the Commission at local and regional level to ensure that user needs are integrated into the Programme and to maximize its use at local and operational level.
Veneto hosts numerous SME’s, three scientific and technological parks (GALILEO, STAR, VEGA) and excellent research infrastructures, universities and research centers.
