Lessons for Europe and Italy from other space powers: The civil-military interconnection

The project included the preparation of a study and its presentation at a closed‑doors workshop. The study focused on the civil‑military nexus within five space powers – China, Japan, India, Russia and the United States – and drew conclusions and implications for Europe and Italy.
The workshop, titled “L’erba dei vicini è sempre più verde? Implicazioni per l’Italia e l’Europa delle politiche spaziali di alleati e avversari” (Is the grass always greener on the other side? Implications for Italy and Europe of the space policies of allies and adversaries) was held at IAI on 19 February 2026. During the event, some of the study’s authors presented the main points of their analysis, followed by a panel of high‑level stakeholders from Italian and European institutions, the private sector and academia. The reflections emerging from the panel were then further explored in a broader debate involving a large audience of representatives from the Italian space community.

Funding: Leonardo