Achievements in space activities are more and more becoming part of our daily life. This in turn is creating the opportunity for a real adoption of new space derived technologies that however have to be further developed and offered as a result of a cohesive and structure approach. Namely interdisciplinary approach is the key, and in particular the convergence technologies method will grant a measurable high level of performance. The proposing team is composed by Industries, Research Organizations and Universities with a strong background in two essential elements of space, i.e. Earth Observation and Exploration of the Universe. Just to mention some of the proposed developments we could list the integration of methodologies and software to provide EO value added services to citizens in the following domains: environmental monitoring and reporting and security.

In addition this consortium will place emphasis on the Exploration of the Universe together with its fundamental axes that span from new sensor development to electrical propulsion and space transport. A prove of the necessary background and capacity to identify new strategic development is given by the current participation of this team in the International and National space related programme coordinated by the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) (DREAM, ESA-SAPS, PRISMA, Cosmo-SkyMed etc.).

The general objective of this project is on one hand to support and ensure the use of EO based services at the regional level; and on the other hand to increase competitiveness of the Apulia Region in European and Global projects such as those for new Earth Observation space segments and for the Exploration of the Universe. The above mentioned objective will be carried out thought research activities articulated in the following three blocks: 1) Space Segment technologies (e.g., new sensors for EO and Planetary Exploration, advancement in space propulsion); 2) Ground Segment technologies (e.g., data exploitation coming from EO and planetary missions); 3) EO regional market development (e.g., demonstration in living labs environment and promotion by ASI regional office).

The achievement of the research detailed objectives is designed in accordance with existing strategic programmatic road map. In this respect is indeed worthwhile to mention the initiative by the Italian Ministry of Education and Research (MIUR) to support the development of the National Technological Cluster that this project would put into synergy with the collaboration agreement signed in 2010 by the Apulia Regional Government and the Italian ASI. Furthermore the exploitation of the geographical proximity with ASI center in Matera will be also addressed, this activity is based on the exploitation of the data coming out from selected space missions such as COSMO SkyMed and PRISMA.