The Italian Space Agency has appointed Starion Italia to develop its Cybersecurity Operations Center – a new strategic infrastructure, funded under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (EU NRRP), that reinforces Italy’s leading role in protecting space and digital assets.
PRESS RELEASE
The Italian Space Agency (ASI) has awarded Starion Italia the design, development and implementation of its Cyber Security Operations Center (C-SOC), an innovative facility that will ensure the protection of the Agency’s space and digital infrastructure. The contract was signed by the Director General of the Italian Space Agency, Luca Vincenzo Maria Salamone, and Stefano Tatoni, Managing Director Starion Italia, in the presence of ASI President Teodoro Valente.
The project, financed as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – Supplementary Fund, involves the integration of the Center with ASI’s existing infrastructure and the implementation of all activities necessary to ensure its full operational functionality.
The initiative, which also benefits from the collaboration of Deloitte Italy as an industrial partner, is part of the broader framework of domestic cybersecurity strategies and is in line with national and European priorities on defence, digital resilience and technological sovereignty.
The Agency has long been actively engaged in the field of cybersecurity applied to the space sector and is a major contributor to the European Space Agency’s Cyber Safety and Security Operations Center (C-SOC) programme. The creation of a dedicated national centre is a further step toward the country’s operational autonomy and infrastructure resilience. The Center will be designed in accordance with national and international cybersecurity regulations and will be a key component for the security of the Agency’s space missions and infrastructure.
“The creation of this facility is a cornerstone upon which we will build our initiatives to strengthen cybersecurity-related resilience, reaffirming the central role of space in the country’s national strategies. In an increasingly interconnected and competitive global context, having autonomous capabilities is an essential requirement,” said Italian Space Agency President Teodoro Valente. “This project reinforces ASI’s role as a key player in national security and innovation policies, and supporting the national industrial supply chain is an integral part of this vision. The C-SOC will be a crucial asset for the protection of our infrastructure and missions, a strategic investment for the sovereignty and competitiveness of the country.”
Stefano Tatoni, Managing Director of Starion Italia, said: “Starion Group is incredibly proud to collaborate with ASI in this groundbreaking initiative, ensuring a resilient and secure future for national space operations and space-related assets. Our team is fully committed to partnering with ASI to develop and implement the C-SOC, leveraging our long heritage in cybersecurity, space systems engineering and operational activities. We advocate a ‘security-first’ and data-centric approach, which ensures that security considerations will be integral at every stage of the design and development of this project.
“We recognise that this C-SOC provides an opportunity for ASI to position Italy at the forefront of space cybersecurity. We will therefore design the C-SOC to be scalable and adaptable to tackle both evolving threats and changing operational demands, to maximise its long-term value for ASI.”
The initiative confirms the desire to create an increasingly secure, resilient and globally competitive Italian space ecosystem.
Main image (left to right): Andrea Polidoro, Starion System Engineer; Roberto Ferretti, Starion Project Manager; Alberto Caponi, ASI Head of Security and Strategies Office and ASI CSOC Direttore Esecuzione del Contratto (DEC); Giovanni Martucci di Scarfizzi, Starion Contract Manager and Sales Director Europe; Lorenzo Chessa, ASI Director of Security & IT Directorate and ASI CSOC Responsabile Unico del Procedimento (RUP); Teodoro Valente, ASI President; Stefano Tatoni, Starion Italia Managing Director; Luca Vincenzo Maria Salamone, ASI Director General
Further information
- Media Relations Starion: i.roels@stariongroup.eu | tel. +39 / 069 / 929 / 8820
- Media Relations ASI: stampa@asi.it | tel. 06 8567 432 / 431 / 887 / 655