Italy’s fragmented space industry is facing growing pressure to consolidate as defense and government customers increasingly favor larger suppliers capable of handling complex programs. The shift reflects a broader push across Europe to build strategic autonomy in defense and critical technologies, as governments respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tensions with China and uncertainty over future U.S. security commitments. For Italy, whose space sector is known for niche engineering expertise but remains dominated by small and medium-size companies, the challenge is whether firms can build the scale and financial strength needed to compete for large contracts without losing the flexibility that made them successful.
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