18 November 2025 16:30
The closing ceremony of the Space Camp Honors Programme – “Dai Banchi alle Stelle” – took place today at Telespazio’s Fucino Space Centre, a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%). The advanced training course, dedicated to guiding high-school students from Abruzzo towards careers in the aerospace sector and STEM disciplines, concluded with the awarding of diplomas to 20 participants.
The initiative, selected and supported by the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale – Impresa Sociale, was carried out by Italiacamp, Telespazio, Innovalley and the “Alessandro Volta” Institute in Pescara, the “Luigi Savoia” Institute in Chieti, and the “Ettore Majorana” Institute in Avezzano, with the scientific contribution of the British Interplanetary Society.
Among those attending the ceremony were Emanuela Grimaldi, Director of the Department of Social Affairs, Local Authorities and Culture of the Abruzzo Region, and Maurizio Betta, Head of People & Organization at Telespazio. Several teachers from the participating schools also took part.
At the heart of the day was the presentation of the Honors Programme results. This year’s edition offered 90 hours of specialist training to a group of students selected from more than 200 Space Camp participants. Held in the Training Hall of the Fucino Space Centre Museum, the course blended theory, experimentation and hands-on laboratory activities designed to give students a concrete understanding of space systems.
The programme was made possible thanks to the strong commitment of the company, which devoted over 40 hours to instructional design by Telespazio professionals who adapted technical content to the needs of high-school students, as well as the contribution of 20 in-house instructors who worked directly with the students throughout the course.
“For Telespazio, this project represents a concrete investment in the skills of the future, in line with Leonardo’s commitment to promoting STEM culture among younger generations,” said Maurizio Betta, Head of People & Organization at Telespazio. “Guiding students through such an immersive programme allows us to show them the reality of the space industry and, at the same time, to bring new talent closer to a sector that needs curiosity, vision, and technical capability. The enthusiasm and maturity the students have shown over these months confirm that this is the right path”.
The conclusion of the Honors Programme marks the end of a journey that began last June, strengthening cooperation between schools, institutions and the technology industry. It is a project that looks to new generations as drivers of innovation and as a key resource for the growth of the Italian aerospace sector. The initiative is part of the Polaris call of the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale – Impresa Sociale, which supports the development of young people’s digital and technical-scientific skills and prepares them for a qualified entry into the workforce.
The Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale (Fund for Digital Republic) is a partnership between the public sector and the social private sector (the Government and the Association of Foundations and Savings Banks – Acri). It operates within the digitalisation goals set out in the PNRR and PNC and is financed through contributions from banking foundations, which receive a tax credit in return.
The Fund selects and supports digital training and inclusion programmes for various segments of population, including NEETs, women, unemployed and inactive people, workers at risk of job loss due to automation, lower and upper secondary school students, social-economy operators, and people in detention or vulnerable situations. The aim is to test digital training and inclusion initiatives and to scale up the most effective ones, providing the Government with best practices that can be used in the development of future national policies.