The first official measurement of thespace economy in Italy, made by Istat together with the Italian Space Agency, redraws the perimeter of a sector that in 2021 it produced 8 billion euros, employing over 23 thousand employees and generating 2 billion in added value, equal to 0,1% of GDP. Still small numbers, but accompanied by a productivity significantly higher than the national average: 84,8 thousand euros per employee, approximately 65% more than the rest of the economy.
The measurement, developed according to the international guidelines of ESA and Eurostat, it will become a three-year period. The The next data release is expected in 2027, with reference to the year 2024.
The value chain: where wealth is created
La structure of the space economy It is divided into upstream, downstream and space-derived. It is the , the technological heart of the supply chain, is home to the most significant figures: €4,1 billion in production, €1,3 billion in added value, and over 14 employees. It is the sector most open to foreign markets, with €1,8 billion in exports and €1,2 billion in imports, a level of internationalization 77% higher than that of the rest of the economy.
Il downstream It contributes almost a billion in added value and 12,6 thousand jobs, supported in particular by software, telecommunications, and data transmission, demonstrating how space has now become an enabling infrastructure for digital.
High-tech manufacturing and global markets
In manufacturing sector Upstream accounts for 76% of the activity. The other means of transport, electronics, and machinery sectors generate over 90% of the space-related industrial added value and account for €1,4 billion in exports. Upstream companies export to an average of 11,6 countries and offer a wider range of products than other Italian companies, a sign of their technological specialization and the international appeal of space-related products.
La propensity to invest The upstream companies' materials production is in line with the national average, but the gap is evident in research: over 6% of production value comes from R&D activities, while research investments represent 11,9% of added value, almost double that of other companies. It is this capacity for continuous innovation that the sector builds its competitive advantage.
An asymmetric geography, large companies and multinational groups at the helm
La the territorial distribution of the sector is highly polarized. Almost 90% of the activity is located between Center and Northwest, with Lazio, Lombardy, and Piedmont leading the way. Lazio leads in value added and employment, while Lombardy and Piedmont consolidate the manufacturing and technological aspects of the supply chain. Its presence in Southern Italy, however, is marginal.
Il the sector is dominated by large companies, responsible for almost 80% of the added value and over 17 thousand jobs. multinational groups They generate 90% of total value added and drive almost all foreign trade flows, with €2 billion in exports and €1,5 billion in imports. The Italian space economy is therefore highly integrated into global value chains.
Highly specialized labor market
Il work in space shows peculiar characteristics. In the upstream the average wages They reach €41,1 thousand annually, 55% higher than the national average. The workforce is highly qualified: over a third of employees have a tertiary education, compared to 16,2% for the rest of the economy. Contractual stability is also greater, with a marginal use of fixed-term contracts amounting to 3,7%, compared to 16,6% for the overall production system.
“Today we need to be able to grasp and make people understand, in the broadest possible way, the interdependencies that space has and produces in favor of numerous other industrial and productive sectors” commented the president of the ASI, Theodore ValensValente adds that "the agreement we are presenting does not represent a mere statistical exercise, but an essential pillar for making objective data available that are useful for supporting government and strategic policies essential for determining the country's competitiveness, in order to know address the challenges that the global market requires".
Istat reiterates the importance of the new thematic account. "The fruitful and effective dialogue between Istat researchers and technicians and thematic experts from ASI has enabled us to address and overcome complex challenges in terms of classification and measurement, balancing the rigor of national accounts with the informative relevance of the new measurements produced," stated the president of Istat. Francesco Maria Chelli.
