The European Space Agency (ESA), Eurocontrol and the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) are pleased to announce the Space for SMART Airports workshop on 12 February 2026. This free event, which will take place at the ADR/Innovation Hub in Rome/FCO airport, is an opportunity to explore airport needs and priorities in relation to operational efficiency, resilience and sustainability, and to investigate possible roles for space technologies in supporting innovative solutions for smart airports.
The event will involve airport managers and operators, airport service providers, industry representatives, institutional authorities, research entities and key aviation stakeholders. The focus will be to discuss and analyse airport requirements and trends in relation to key operational challenges and sustainability goals. Delegates will explore opportunities for innovation addressing applications such as:
- optimised monitoring of airports assets and airports surroundings
- automation in airside operations
- fleet management
- mobility for passengers and goods
- integrated logistics
Emerging solutions enabled by space data and services, as well as their potential for commercial exploitation will be discussed. These include new business models, data analytics tailored for aviation, and innovative partnerships between public and private sectors. ESA Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) funding opportunities to develop innovative and commercially sustainable applications for smart airports, supported by space technologies, will be also presented.
The event will provide networking opportunities for attendees, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange between regulatory authorities, technology providers, and aviation/airport operators. By bringing together a diverse audience of stakeholders, the workshop aims to spark dialogue and inspire actionable ideas, while also match-making between demand and supply to shape the next generation of airport technologies and services.
Agenda
10:00 – 10:30 Registration
10:30 – 10:45 Welcome and introductions
ADR, Emanuele Calà, Senior Vice President, Transformation & Technology, Aeroporti di Roma
ENAC, Davide Drago, Director for Coordination, Standardisation and Airport Regulation
10:45 – 11:00 ESA ACCESS/BASS programme and space applications for smart airports
ESA, Rita Rinaldo, Head of Applications and Studies Division
11:00 – 12:30 Panel: Airports - Trends and Future Directions (Moderator: Enrico Spinelli, Applications Engineer, ESA)
ADR, Fabrizio Magliocca, Director of Business Transformation, Innovation & Quality
Schiphol, Rens Kamerling, Innovation Manager
ARC, Sergi Alegre, Director General
Eurocontrol, Mohamed Ellejmi, Deputy Head of Airport Unit
12:30 – 14:00 Networking Lunch
14:00 – 14:45 Industry Session (Moderators: Fausto Vieira, HE Space for ESA, and Eurocontrol representative)
ASB (Autonomous Safety Barrier), Roar Bjerke, CEO Autroni
Darwin Shuttle, Daniela Petrovic, CEO Darwin Group
14:45 – 16:00 Working sessions (additional information will be provided to registered participants)
16:00 – 16:30 Summary and Wrap Up Sessions
Feedback from working sessions by selected speakers
Conclusions (ESA)
Registrations have now closed. If you would like to be added to a waiting list should more spaces become available,
please email business@esa.int