Rome - AeroSpace Power Conference 2025: Future of Aerospace Power

On May 8 and 9, 2025, Rome will host the second edition of the AeroSpace Power Conference (#ASPC2025) at “La Nuvola”, an event that promises to be one of the most significant moments in the international aerospace landscape. Organized by the Italian Air Force in scientific collaboration with the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), ASPC2025 will focus on the central theme “Fighting and Winning in the Sky Beyond the Next Decade” – a title that underscores the importance of preparing for future challenges in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing international security context.

This event represents a unique opportunity for dialogue among industry professionals, including representatives from institutions, industry, SMEs, as well as experts from academia and think tanks. The primary objective of ASPC2025 is to offer an authoritative vision on the concept of aerospace power as a decisive military tool, in light of the challenges posed by the aerospace domain and the global geopolitical context. It will be an opportunity to explore the continuous technological evolution of the sector, highlighting the innovations necessary to overcome the challenges of the coming decades.

Innovation, Sustainability, and Collaboration between Public and Private Sectors

A fundamental theme of the conference will be the synergy between technological innovation, sustainability, and the development of the aerospace sector. ASPC2025, in continuity with the first edition in 2023, will focus on the challenges and opportunities related to the evolution of aerospace technologies, essential for maintaining a strategic advantage in a competitive context. The conference will focus on how innovation can drive not only technological progress but also sustainable development, an increasingly central aspect for new generations of technologies applied to the aerospace sector.

Participants will have the opportunity to develop new ideas, share insights, and establish connections with experts from various sectors. The discussion will cover topics such as strategy and policy in the aerospace sector, challenges related to innovation, training, and technology, and the close interconnection between defense, industry, research, and development. The aim will be to explore new future paths for aerospace, stimulating an interdisciplinary dialogue that encompasses both the military and civilian fields.

The Discussion Panels: Strategic and Technological Themes

ASPC2025 will be structured through five keynote speeches and four discussion panels. Each panel will address a specific theme, to delve into future challenges and the technological advancements necessary to maintain aerospace superiority.

The first panel will explore the strategic level of aerospace power, analyzing the current international security scenario and possible future scenarios. The war in Ukraine and the challenges posed by China make a peer conflict increasingly likely for NATO members and their allies. In such a context, it will be crucial for Western air forces to prepare to fight and win in complex, large-scale conflicts through effective deterrence and a swift conclusion of the conflict, if necessary.

The second panel will focus on technological competition, examining the challenges related to modernization and maintaining technological advantage. The adoption of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, hypersonic systems, and collaborative drones, will bring significant changes to the aerospace operations landscape. It will be essential to adapt procurement models and strengthen public-private partnerships to accelerate the entry into service of new technologies.

The third panel will address issues related to doctrine and leadership in the context of air forces. In a period of rapid technological changes, the training and preparation of pilots are more important than ever. There will also be discussions on the evolution of military doctrine, which must take into account new technologies and modes of interaction between humans and machines, with a focus on multi-domain operations.

Space as a New Strategic Domain

Finally, the fourth panel will explore space as a new domain for strategic competition. Since NATO recognized space as a true operational domain in 2019, this sector has gained increasing relevance. Threats to space assets, both non-kinetic (such as cyberattacks) and kinetic (such as counter-space capabilities), are constantly increasing. Moreover, the growing presence of private actors and the decreasing costs of space technologies are making space an increasingly competitive and operational environment.

Developments in the space sector are crucial for the armed forces, as space infrastructures are fundamental to ensuring superiority in global operations. The panel will also discuss international space policies, the need for more robust protection of space resources, and the strategic choices Europe will need to make to remain competitive in the sector.

In summary, ASPC2025 promises to be an event of fundamental importance for the future of aerospace power, where the main actors in the sector will discuss how to face the challenges that the next decade will present in a rapidly evolving geopolitical and technological context.