Patrick Air Force Base. An Atlas V AEHF-6 rocket successfully launches from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, March 26, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joshua Conti)
The first day of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ weeklong trade mission to Italy was headlined by a space-centered partnership with an Italian university.
DeSantis’ office announced Monday that Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Sapienza University of Rome have entered a partnership to share research and joint initiatives.
The partnership is accompanied by an invitation from Space Florida to Italian aerospace companies to participate in aeronautical infrastructure in the Sunshine State.
CEO of Space Florida Rob Long said the collaboration is “a testament to the vision that Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez gave for Florida’s position in the aerospace economy, and research and innovation globally.”
“By expanding existing partnerships and leveraging new opportunities across Italy’s aerospace clusters and districts in 11 different regions, we can deepen our aerospace ecosystem’s bench to benefit both economies and advance our mutual goals,” Long said in a news release. “Our recent establishment of a first-of-its-kind university space research consortium also opens exciting pathways for innovative international collaboration to shape the future of space commerce.”
According to FloridaCommerce, Italy is in the running to become one of the top 10 trade partners of Florida.
On our trade mission to Italy, we have brought state leadership, university leadership, and industry and business leaders together to grow relationships and encourage investments in Florida.
Today we met with Italian chambers of commerce and have agreed to host a reciprocal… pic.twitter.com/Y0M3RdZeYs
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) November 11, 2024
DeSantis is on the mission with 85 government officials and business professionals including university presidents from Florida State University, New College of Florida, the University of Central Florida, Florida International University, Embry-Riddle, and Florida Polytechnic University; and Long, FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue, Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida, and Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd.