A survey on the capacities of the Italian space sector to produce technology transfers into space related and space enabled business

Paper number

IAC-17,E5,2,3,x39769

Year

2017

Abstract

In 2013-14 a study was conducted on economic and technological data from the statistical Panel of firms registered in ASI’s (Italian Space Agency) Distretto Virtuale (DV) web portal, to investigate the sector's capacity to transfer space technology into business operations, in both areas of “space related” and “space enabled”. It is based on a significant Panel representing >90% of the sector and applying methodologies, metrics and definitions – see especially the innovative delimitation between the said areas from the "core" space upstream/downstream business – benchmarked and shared with the main Boards on space statistics (OECD, IAF itself and ESA). ESA in particular adopted the DV standards in its Pilot instrument on its website (Space Economy section), to collect  and compare economical data from the Member countries.
This work describes the study's report of a growing activity in these fields estimated 5-10% on the space production value, including business carried out by separate non-space entities (spin offs, etc). The mainstay definition for these activities relies on being connected to space technologies but not crucially, at a level where “they could also exist without”. In this differentiating from the so called space “downstream” whereas the rule is the opposite or … “they could not exist without”.
This definition's declination includes a closer layer of activities (space related) where space technologies are ongoing even if their integration is not absolutely necessary, as is the case with communication and localization services in urban areas (digital tv, car sharing networks that can also rely on terrestrial wideband, cellphone networks, etc.); but also another, more interesting, further layer of activities (space enabled) where space technologies are only the extreme trigger of their development, which ensues independently. As to the latter, a detailed list of cases is offered of operational space tech transfers into supermaterials (fashion brand accessories, car bodies, semiconductors), aeronautics hardware (radars and integrated software, emergency floaters), medical scanning devices and applications, environmental monitoring services, telemetric systems for sport events. It appears that space has a wide innovative potential for its top quality and performance standards. Or, alternatively, how the extreme space environment challenge put on hw and sw, strenghtens competitivity for terrestrial uses. Another important finding is that the firms having transfer capacity are also those, by space standards, better performing in terms of production/productivity and employment. Therefore public policies should encourage their respective sectors toward this model and enhance their global results.

Abstract document

IAC-17,E5,2,3,x39769.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-17,E5,2,3,x39769.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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