Scientific Committee

Giuseppe Macino, Professor Emeritus in Cell Biology at Sapienza Rome, degree in Chemistry, Postdoctor at Columbia University, involved in pioniering research on Mitochondrial genomes, on light induced transcriptional response, on circadian rhythm, and on post-transcriptional gene silencing.

Involved in studies on the micro RNA function in leukemia and several types of cancer. Epigenetics studies on human healty and patological cells.

Currently, PAC is Associated to INAF at the Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale and Fisica Cosmica in Milano where she has been Director from 2011 to 2017. She is also Professor of “Introduction to Astronomy” at the University of Pavia, representative of INAF within the CTA Collaboration and Associate Editor of the Journal of High Energy Astrophysics.

A world leader in the study of high-energy emission from neutron stars, PAC is well known for her seminal work on Geminga, the first gamma-ray pulsar with no radio emission. Indeed, her career was based in interdisciplinarity in astronomy, from space and from the ground.

Simonetta Cheli took up duty as Director of Earth Observation Programmes and Head of ESRIN (D/EOP) on 1 January 2022.
Born in Siena, Italy, she studied law and economics at Yale University in the United States, before gaining a degree in political sciences with a thesis on international satellite telecommunication law at the University ‘Cesare Alfieri’ in Florence, Italy. She also holds a diploma of advanced studies (DEA) from the Centre d’Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques (CEDS) in Paris.

She has worked at ESA for over three decades, both at Headquarters in Paris and at ESRIN, including 15 years of working within the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.
She joined ESA in 1988, working in International Relations, Programme and Strategy, then moved to ESRIN in 1999 as Head of Public and Institutional Relations covering Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 2008, she returned to Paris as Head of the Coordination Office for Earth Observation.

Before her selection as Director of Earth Observation, Simonetta Cheli was Head of the Strategy, Programme and Coordination Office for Earth Observation, coordinating relations with international partners in the field of environment and climate, and with ESA Member States and the European Union, managing the Programme Board of Earth Observation, and relations with European Partners such as Eumetsat and ECMWF.

She also teaches Master courses on space, is a member of numerous international
committees and has received various awards.

Simonetta Di Pippo is Professor of Practice of Space Economy at SDA Bocconi School of Management and Director of Space Economy Evolution Lab (SEE Lab). She is an italian astrophysicist and before joining SDA Bocconi she served as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
She holds a Master’s Degree in Astrophysics and Space Physics from University “La Sapienza”, an Honoris Causa Degree in Environmental Studies, and an Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor in International Affairs.

In her career, she has been able to cover all the main different fields in space activities, with experience at national, regional and global level. She wrote two books and contributed to many more. She is also author and co-author to several international articles, and always advocating the importance of increasing awareness of the benefits of space activities, she has been featured in more than 1000 interviews and TV and radio shows and podcasts.

Prior to joining UNOOSA, she served as Director of Human Spaceflight at ESA, Director of the Observation of the Universe at the Italian Space Agency and led the European Space Policy Observatory at ASI-Brussels.
She is an Academician of IAA and a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on space since 2016, co-chairing it since 2020. In her career, Simonetta Di Pippo has been active in bridging the gender gap in STEM and the space sector. In 2009, she co-founded Women in Aerospace Europe and in 2017, she became a UN International Gender Champion.

In 2008, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named asteroid 21887 “dipippo” in honour of her contribution to space activities and in 2006, she was knighted by the President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi as Cavaliere Ufficiale al Merito. She has been the first woman to be honored with the Hubert Curien award.

Pascale Ehrenfreund is the President of the International Space University and Research Professor of Space Policy and International Affairs at the Space Policy Institute/George Washington University in Washington DC. She is also the President of the International Astronautical Federation IAF and Visiting Professor at Leiden Observatory.

Since three decades she contributed as Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator and Teamleader to ESA and NASA astronomy and planetary missions as well as experiments in low Earth orbit and on the International Space Station.

Pascale Ehrenfreund served as the Chair of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) between 2015-2020 and the President of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) from 2013-2015.

Pascale Ehrenfreund holds a Master degree in Molecular Biology, a PhD in Astrophysics, and a Master degree in Management & Leadership.
The asteroid “9826 Ehrenfreund 2114 T-3” bears her name.

Giuseppe Macino, Professor Emeritus in Cell Biology at Sapienza Rome, degree in Chemistry, Postdoctor at Columbia University, involved in pioniering research on Mitochondrial genomes, on light induced transcriptional response, on circadian rhythm, and on post-transcriptional gene silencing.

Involved in studies on the micro RNA function in leukemia and several types of cancer. Epigenetics studies on human healty and patological cells.

Luciano Pietronero studied physics in Rome, then Research Scientist at Xerox Research in Webster USA (1974) and Brown Boveri Research Center (CH) 1975-1983. Full Professor of Condensed Matter Theory at the Univ. of Groningen (NL; 1983-87). Since 1987 Professor of Physics at the Sapienza University of Rome. Founder and director of the Institute for Complex Systems of CNR (2004-2014).

Since 2019 President of the Fermi Center (www.cref.it). Broad international experience in academic and industrial enviroments. Leader of a generation of young scientists protagonists of the complexity scene internationally. In 2008 he received the Fermi Prize (highest award of the Italian Physical Society). Recent activity in Economic Complexity applied extensively by the World Bank (for which LP is a Senior Advisor) and by the EU Commission for the evaluation of the Recovery Fund Projects (PNRR).

www.lucianopietronero.it

Dr. Lorenzo Scatena is Secretary General of Fondazione E. Amaldi. Previously he served as Managing Director of Fondazione E. Amaldi responsible of two business lines, under mandate of the Board of Directors: Finance for Innovation and Business Applications.

He conceived the first Italian Venture Capital Fund for the Space sector and since 2017 is the Italian Ambassador of the European Space Agency for the Space Solutions Network, managing the Business Applications and Incubed+ Programmes. Mentor and founder of tech-accelerators and start-ups, He also served as Director General of Research Consortium Hypatia deepening his background in technology transfer, with a focus on the energy and new materials sectors.

Alberto Tuozzi was born in Roma 1957, is married and has two daugthers.
Master Degree cum laude in Electronic Engineering – University of Rome La Sapienza.
Presently Head of the EU and EU Member State Relations Unit in the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Chair of the European Space Agency Board on Telecommunication (JCB)
Previously Head of Telecommunication and Navigation Division and Acting Chair and Vice Chair of the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

Appointed as Italian National Delegate to ESA PB-NAV (board for satellite navigation acitivies) since 2002 and advisor to the ESA Council.
National Delegate to European Union Space Committee both in the transversal and Galileo/EGNOS configurations and National representative in the ICG (International Committee on GNSS) under UN COPOUS
He has been working for more than 36 years in the Space Field, firstly in the industrial sector (17 years) and then in the public one, taking responsibilities for large space programme management with particular regard to design, implementation, operations and Strategic Elaboration.
His main activities have been in Space Telecommunication, Satellite Navigation, Earth Observation and Space Strategy.

He is currently coordinator for the Italian Space Agency of several relevant space research projects, like use of artificial intelligence, and for the development of space applications for the benefit of citizens.
He has been appointed as National Delegate to ESA JCB, to ESA Industrial Policy Committee, to ESA Programme Board on Earth Observation (PB-EO), to ESA Scientific Programme Committee. and to the EUMETSAT Council.

He has been responsible for the operation of several Italian space missions (Telecommunication, Scientific and Technological missions) and for the ground segment implementation and operations of the ESA ARTEMIS satellite.

On the base of this long experience in the space sector, he also carries out teaching activities in University Masters and is author of several papers and speeches in international conferences.