Now in its nineteenth edition, the award has become over the years an internal incubator of ideas and a driver of technological creativity in the space domain.
Hundreds of colleagues from Leonardo and Telespazio, based across Europe and South America, competed with proposals ranging from artificial intelligence to cybersecurity and the protection of orbital assets.
The award ceremony took place today at Telespazio’s headquarters in Rome, with the participation of Massimo Claudio Comparini, Managing Director of Leonardo’s Space Division; Gabriele Pieralli, CEO of Telespazio; Milena Lerario, CEO of e-GEOS; Maurizio Betta, SVP People & Organization at Telespazio and Luca Petronzio, SVP Technology & Innovation at Telespazio.
“The Innovation Award is an international initiative that involves all Group employees, inviting them to propose innovative ideas and projects that enhance creativity and talent. Even in the space sector, innovation is the language through which we build the future. Every project developed within our organizations represents a step forward towards a safer, more sustainable, and more competitive Italy and Europe.
The real value of innovation lies in the ability to turn vision into reality—anticipating tomorrow thanks to the innovative spirit of our people. Leonardo’s Space Division, together with Telespazio, will continue to invest in research and innovation, consolidating its role as a leader in the new frontiers of space technology,”.Massimo Claudio Comparini, Managing Director of Leonardo’s Space Division.
Here are the winners of the 2025 Telespazio Innovation Award.
In the Customer Support category, the award went to the SIA – Satellite Intelligence Analyzer project, developed by a Telespazio team led by Albert Scala. This tool enables real-time identification of satellites as signal sources and has already proven essential for monitoring and managing interference, strengthening collaboration with partners such as EUMETSAT.
A special mention went to WATSON – Weather Assistant for Telespazio’s Satellite & Operational Network, conceived by Claudio Mauro (Telespazio). Using artificial intelligence, WATSON transforms weather monitoring into a proactive and automated process, improving operational efficiency and response time.
The Digital Transformation category featured two winning projects. The first, End-to-end traceability in response to EUDR, developed by a team led by Laura De Vendictis (e-GEOS), enables full traceability of agricultural raw material supply chains subject to the new EU regulation against deforestation. The second, Integrated physical and logical traceability – 4th level, presented by Elena Luna Tocci (Leonardo), introduces an advanced system for real-time monitoring of electronic board production for space applications, improving both efficiency and quality.
In the Best Development section, two projects stood out for their high technological value. Development of the Solar Array for Nimbus SAR, led by Sara Danielli (Leonardo), successfully completed the qualification campaign for new solar panels designed for the Nimbus SAR program, demonstrating both innovation and reliability. The second award went to UPLink LEOQKD System, coordinated by Nahum Zaera (Telespazio), which proposes an innovative architecture for quantum key distribution through constellations of microsatellites—opening up significant prospects for secure communications.
A special mention was given to the team led by Francesco Coppola (Leonardo) for developing an advanced high-energy laser transmitter model intended for future atmospheric observation missions.
The Innovative Idea category showcased remarkable creativity, with twenty-three proposals submitted. The first prize went to Sat-Guards: Last-Seconds Collision Avoidance Service, conceived by Raimondo Fortezza (Telespazio) and a multidisciplinary team. The system envisions the use of nanosatellites flying in formation to protect strategic space assets from potential collisions through autonomous maneuvers based on real-time analysis.
The second prize, awarded ex aequo, went to OSA – Onboard Security Authority by Domenico Cascone (Leonardo), which integrates cybersecurity and certification functions into a single system, providing holistic protection for space infrastructures.
Two special mentions were also granted: CUORE – Compact Unit for Orbital Replacement, by Stefano Conti (Leonardo), designed to simplify the replacement and repositioning of orbital units without traditional fastenings; and Use of Silicon Carbide for new generation optical payloads, presented by Emanuele Capuano (Leonardo), which explores the use of silicon carbide to produce optical payloads that are lighter, more stable, and higher-performing than those made from conventional materials.
The 2025 Innovation Award once again confirmed its role not just as an internal competition, but as a true engine of innovation—one capable of sparking cutting-edge ideas and turning them into practical solutions to tackle the challenges of the space sector, from sustainability to security, and from telecommunications to Earth observation.
