In the presence of the Commander of the 1sta General Air Region Francesco Vestito, the conference on aerospace expertise and technological development in Genoa
Thursday 25th May, in Genoa, in the splendid setting of the Reception Hall of Palazzo Tursi, at the conclusion of the celebratory events that the Municipality of Genoa dedicated to the Centenary of the’Italian Air Force, in collaboration with’Italian Air Force Association, the conference was held “Italian Air Force: aerospace expertise and engine of technological development (1923-2023)”.
Attending the conference were the Mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci, the Commander of the 1sta General Air Region S.A. Francesco Vestito, the national president of the Italian Air Force Association, retired General Giulio Mainini, and the rector of the University of Genoa, Federico Delfino.
Among those present were numerous civil and military authorities, including Senator Roberta Pinotti.
The conference, developed across three panels and organised by the AAA Genoa Section chaired by retired General Salvatore Gagliano, brought together qualified institutional, industrial and academic figures who, with their speeches, outlined a common thread on the path that has characterised the development of the Italian Air Force and its related technology over this first century of life. Stimulating insights were also provided into the prospects of the challenges that await us in the aerospace field.
In the first, the origins of the virtuous journey of Ligurian men and businesses in the field of aviation were addressed, with speeches by retired Air Force generals Vincenzo Camporini and Alberto Rosso, Lorenzo Fiori of the Ansaldo Foundation, and Gregory Alegi of Uni Luiss. In the second panel, however, the cultural elements that characterised the period between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries were explored in depth, with contributions from Maria Grazia Bella of the Air Force General Staff, and UniGe professors Alessandro Ferraro and Leo Lecci. In conclusion, the final panel featured a remote address by Massimo Tammaro, retired lieutenant colonel.
General S.A. Francesco Vestito, during his speech, highlighted “This conference, thanks to its qualified and passionate speakers, represents an opportunity to address and explore the issues related to aerospace power and the strategy of the policy to be developed in the fourth dimension, moving through the challenges of the future linked to the’innovation and to technology. These are subjects that are increasingly interrelated with the close and virtuous synergies between Defence entities, the industrial world, and the research and development sector.
Our vision is to have a distinctly technological Air Force, even more streamlined, agile, responsive and capable. We can only achieve this by continuously exploring the new technological and scientific horizons necessary to utilise increasingly innovative technologies that allow us to look ahead to tomorrow, and be ready to remain relevant as risks and threats evolve”.
The conference ended with a round table, which, looking towards the future, was dedicated to the technological progress and to aerospace expertise. In this context, speakers include the Chief Inspector General Giuseppe Lupoli, the president of Aiad Giuseppe Cossiga, Valerio Di Tana from Argotec, and Italian astronauts including Franco Malerba, Air Force Brigadier General Roberto Vittori and, joining from the United States, Colonel Walter Villadei.
