Finding new opportunities for region-to-region business in the SatCom field: The ToscanaSpazio association

Research and Development in a peculiar field such as Satellite Communications (as well as Space science/technology in general) is known to be the ideal stage both for large, transnational companies with the functions of large integrators and system/service providers, and for Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) specialized in vertical technologies and/or services. Both kinds of actors, and SMEs in particular, may take advantage of different forms of regional networking on a smaller-than-national scale to create synergies and exploit complementarities at a local level. This paper reports on a very recent experience of this kind, namely, the newborn no-profit regional association ToscanaSpazio, based in Tuscany, Italy. The association, through a number of networking, dissemination, and lobbying actions, helps creating and strengthening competence, and prevents the brain drain and the possible slow decay of the technological, scientific, and entre-preneurship assets of the region. In addition to describing the association, the paper also identifies and informs about the different opportunities of region-to-region business for similar regional networks or districts that may arise in Europe with the help of the European Commission, of national and regional Space Agencies, and of international large companies.