When Antonio Di Francesco and Linda Serafini joined Starion Italia as interns, they arrived with different academic backgrounds but a shared ambition: to apply Earth observation (EO), artificial intelligence (AI) and geospatial analysis to real environmental challenges.
What began as university internships became something larger: a 9-month shared project, a test of complementary expertise and an introduction to the pace and purpose of industrial R&D. It showed the value of giving interns room to lead and proved that the right combination of trust, teamwork and technical ambition can turn an internship into the start of something much bigger.
Antonio Di Francesco and Linda Serafini joined Starion Italia in 2025 through the University of Bologna’s Space Missions Science, Design and Applications (SPICES) Master’s programme – an advanced postgraduate course designed to bridge academic specialisation with the industrial space sector, covering everything from space mission management and systems design to EO techniques.
For Antonio, who had already completed studies in mechanical engineering, mathematical and physical modelling, and a PhD in mathematical physics, the internship was a chance to move from academic research into private sector R&D. For Linda, whose background spans environmental biology, remote sensing and EO, Starion stood out immediately as a place where her career ambitions could take shape: “It was at the top of my list from day one!”
The company initially had separate internship roles in mind, but following conversations with Starion’s Iolanda Maggio, Senior Project and Service Manager, and Andrea Cavallini, AI and EO Competence Lead, it became a joint R&D project called FloraCAST that would combine their complementary expertise.
The FloraCAST project
The project was an experimental technology demonstrator using AI models and multi-source satellite data to explore how EO data could help detect early signs of severe stress in Mediterranean ecosystems, including drought, heat and bacterial infection. One use case explored the long-running bacterial disease affecting olive trees in Southern Italy, which has been a serious problem during the past 10 to 15 years.
The interns’ complementary areas of specialism were central to the project’s value, with Antonio bringing technical and modelling expertise alongside Linda’s ecological and remote-sensing knowledge. Together, they developed tools to locate trees using object-detection models, and to collect and process relevant satellite data. The goal was to prove the workflow and demonstrate what might be possible, rather than to industrialise the system.
Teamwork, trust and autonomy
For Antonio and Linda, the experience was as much about how they worked as what they built. Linda says teamwork was the biggest lesson of the placement. “Co-leading FloraCAST with Antonio meant that we had to collaborate effectively every single day for 9 months. We learned to navigate teamwork at multiple levels: working autonomously on our individual tasks, coordinating as a core group with our corporate supervisors, collaborating with other internal company teams and even interfacing with complex ESA [European Space Agency] procedures.”
Antonio also highlights the importance of trust.
The part I enjoyed most was the trust I received, and the autonomy and independence we were given on the project. Our managers were very welcoming, supportive and caring, but they allowed us to mostly manage the project ourselves. No micromanagement, no stress. We had the decision-making power.
That autonomy gave both interns a clear view of the difference between academic research and industry. After years in university research, Antonio noticed the practical, goal-oriented nature of working in a company: agile product development, clear priorities and the freedom to experiment while keeping sight of outcomes.
The internship also opened the door to broader downstream work. As FloraCAST evolved, Linda contributed to new business project proposals and use cases linked to ESA’s Heritage Space Programme, exploring how historical satellite archives from concluded missions could support environmental and infrastructure safety challenges.
Being valued as an intern
The wider Starion environment made an impression on both interns. “It was family-like and friendly and very professional,” Antonio says. “It made it 10 times easier to overcome difficulties and obstacles, and they really cared for our success.”
Linda echoes that sense of fit between all parties.
Starion completely matched my expectations by perfectly aligning with my professional ambitions while surrounding me with genuinely amazing human beings.
Now, having completed their internships and looking ahead to a possible new career opportunities, Antonio and Linda are reflecting on what the experience has given them.
Antonio’s advice to future interns is to embrace responsibility in a supportive environment: “Try and take responsibility and risks within a safe environment. It gives you the possibility to shine and is an incredible chance to develop your skills.”
The advice from Linda is similarly energetic: “Start with a clear direction for your career path in the space sector. Once you enter Starion, balance a high level of professionalism and self-driven autonomy with the freedom to be your authentic self.”
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