07 March 2025 11:00
Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%) and a leader in geospatial services, and the Pian di Spagna and Lake Mezzola Nature Reserve have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to initiate a collaboration aimed at using innovative technologies, including drones and satellites, for an integrated, sustainable, and secure management of the territory.
The framework agreement provides for the use of remotely piloted systems operated by Telespazio’s Lario Space Centre, utilizing the T-DROMES® software platform and leveraging advanced satellite technologies to ensure safe Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, which are necessary for the planned services for the Reserve and neighboring municipalities.
In particular, services will be developed for environmental and wildlife monitoring, territorial security, emergency support, wildfire prevention, and post-event damage assessment.
"We are proud to provide the Pian di Spagna and Lake Mezzola Nature Reserve with our expertise and cutting-edge technologies in geoinformation, remotely piloted systems, and telecommunications for the protection of the environment and the territory, which is also home to our Lario Space Centre of excellence," said Milena Lerario, Director of the Geo-Information Business Line at Telespazio and CEO of e-GEOS. "This agreement represents a significant step forward towards more efficient, sustainable, integrated, and secure land and inland area management, thanks to the use of innovative solutions that enable us to monitor and protect our natural heritage and provide services to citizens and tourists."
"The collaboration with Telespazio represents a valuable opportunity for the Reserve to adopt advanced technological tools in the field of Innovative Air Mobility and Delivery, where Telespazio is a recognized leader, also present in our area, to improve monitoring and management capabilities," added Roberto Vignarca, President of the Pian di Spagna and Lake Mezzola Nature Reserve. "The integrated use of drones and satellite assets in a versatile manner will allow us to optimize our environmental protection activities, from wildfire prevention to wildlife control, contributing to biodiversity conservation and ensuring visitor safety in cooperation with local and regional administrations."
The agreement includes an initial phase of analyzing the Reserve’s specific needs, identifying the most suitable technologies, and defining concrete use cases. Telespazio will provide its secure and segregated area at the Lario Space Centre as an operational base for testing.
From left: Pier Francesco Cardillo, Head of Commercial Development - RPAS e UTM of Telespazio and Roberto Vignarca, President of the Pian di Spagna and Lake Mezzola Nature Reserve