Theodore Valens is the new president ofItalian Space Agency (Asi). Expert in materials for space, he succeeds Giorgio Saccoccia, in office from April 2019 to April 2023. This was announced by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy. The decision was taken by the Aerospace Policy Committee (Comint). Chaired by Minister Adolfo Urso, the Committee approved the appointment of the new president and the Board of Directors of ASI.
With Valente the new one was nominated board of directors dell’Asi, composed of Joseph Basini, Maria Branchesi, Stefano Gualandris, Marco Lisi, Louise Riccardi And Elda Turco Bulgherini.
Urso, ASI’s commitments include the use of Pnrr funds
Making the best use of the funds of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and confirming Italy’s leadership in the space field are among the priority objectives of the Italian Space Agency: said the Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, at regarding the appointment of the new president and board of directors of ASI.
“I am particularly satisfied with the full synergy with the other departments with which we have shared appointments of a high professional and scientific profile, which will allow ASI to better face the demanding challenges that await our Agency also on a bilateral and multilateral level”, he noted Minister Urso in thanking the previous president of ASI Giorgio Saccocciae in wishing the new president Teodoro Valente and the new Board of Directors good work.
Among ASI’s commitments, Urso also indicated “an effective and significant use of the huge funding assigned to ASI, both as transfers to European Space Agency programs and on the internal front with ordinary funds and those made available by the Pnrr. Italy – continued the Minister – is a global leader in the space sector and we are ready to confirm this leadership for the benefit of the Italian industrial chain and related research and development”.
Lastly, Urso recalled that the debate has begun with the public and private players in the sector for the elaboration of a bill project whose objective is to define national governance on space in the short term. “Italy – underlined Urso – unlike other EU and global countries, lacks this essential regulatory framework, and we hope to remedy this gap by the beginning of next year”.
Space-related issues will be among the topics at the center of the minister’s next mission to the United States, where contacts are planned with the National Space Council and with the major American commercial companies in the sector with the aim of strengthening collaboration between the USA and Italy in the space sector.
Valente, from Sapienza to the Cnr
Valente, 58, is director of the Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials of the National Research Council. For many years he was a full professor at the Sapienza University of Rome and also served in the Research and Development Directorate of the European Commission.
Born in Rome on February 25, 1965, in 1989 Valente graduated from Sapienza in Mechanical Engineering and in 1993, from Luiss, he completed his master’s degree in Business Administration.
Between 1990 and 1992 he worked for Snamprogetti and for Tecnolyte. In 1992 he began his university career as a researcher at Sapienza; from 1996 to 1997 he was seconded to Brussels, at the Research Directorate of the European Commission, as national expert for scientific and technological cooperation actions in the field of research on materials. In the same period he was scientific secretary of the European ‘Cost ad hoc Technical Committee on Materials’.
In 1998 he became an associate professor at Sapienza and since 2001 he has been a full professor at the same university. He has more than 120 papers published in international journals and international/national conference proceedings, two international and one national patent.
Source: Ansa
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
