Italy and Japan strengthen strategic cooperation in space and infrastructure

Italian officials and industry leaders have concluded a technical and institutional mission to Japan aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation across several high-tech and strategic sectors.

In the aerospace sector, a declaration of intent was signed between the President of the University of Tokyo, Teruo Fujii, and the Italian Ambassador to Japan, Mario Vattani. This agreement seeks to foster collaboration between Japanese academic institutions and Italian universities, such as Sapienza University of Rome, particularly in aerospace engineering. The partnership follows a recent elevation of the bilateral relationship to a special strategic partnership.

In the infrastructure sector, executives from the Italian state-owned company Anas, led by CEO Claudio Andrea Gemme, met with Japanese counterparts to exchange expertise on road infrastructure, technological innovation, and natural risk prevention. The mission focused on digital transformation and building resilient networks capable of facing climate change challenges. Discussions included studying Japanese management of large-scale works, such as the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, to inform future Italian projects like the Strait of Messina Bridge.