by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interviews: Stefano Carosio, Executive Director – STAM s.r.l.; Niccolò Donatacci, Project Manager ESA BIC Padua; Paul Robson, CEO – Royal Institution of Naval Architects
The second phase of the Next Innovation Road 2026 project, launched by M.A.R.E. TC FVG (the Maritime, Aerospace, and Renewable Energy Technology Cluster of Friuli Venezia Giulia), took place on 16 June 2026 at Magazzino 26, a former dockside warehouse in Trieste’s Porto Vecchio that now serves as an event venue.
The event, titled “Digitalization between Sea and Space,” is part of a broader initiative that, according to Simonetta Greco, cluster manager at M.A.R.E. TC FVG, aims to foster collaboration among companies, research centers, and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders across Italy and Europe, transforming ideas into concrete project initiatives.
This edition focused on the intersection of the maritime and space sectors, bringing together companies, research centers, and ecosystem stakeholders for four presentations evenly divided between the two fields. On the space side, Stefano Carosio, executive director of Stam, opened the program with a talk on connecting space and non-space innovation. He was followed by Niccolò Donatacci, project manager at ESA BIC Padua—the European Space Agency’s business incubation center in Padua—who explored pathways to the commercialization of space technologies.
Representing the maritime sector, Amedeo Migali, CEO of MICAD, discussed digitalization in yachting and the technological synergies linking the maritime, space, and energy sectors. Paul Jobson, CEO of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, concluded the presentations with an overview of the technological trends shaping the future of the maritime industry.
The session closed with the formal launch of the new “Digitalization between Sea and Space” community, which will continue to develop the project initiatives proposed during the event throughout the coming year.
