This visit was organized in the framework of the Franco-Italian intergovernmental summit, taking place in Antibes, France
Cannes, June 25th, 2026 – In the framework of the Franco-Italian intergovernmental Summit organized in Antibes, France, Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has welcomed in its headquarters, in Cannes, France, a delegation including Anna Maria Bernini, Italian Minister of Universities and Research, Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy and Authority Delegated for Space and Aerospace Policies for the Italian Government, Catherine Vautrin, French Minister of the Armed Forces, Roland Lescure, French Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial, Energy, and Digital Sovereignty, Philippe Baptiste, French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space, as well as Sébastien Martin, French Minister delegate for Industry.
From left to right: Giampiero Di Paolo, Françoise Bruneteaux, Deputy Mayor of Cannes, Sébastien Martin, Anna Maria Bernini, Adolfo Urso, Philippe Baptiste, Roland Lescure, Hervé Derrey, Pascale Sourisse, Massimo Comparini.
The delegation was hosted by Hervé Derrey, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space and Giampiero Di Paolo, Thales Alenia Space Deputy CEO and CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italia. The delegation was also hosted by representatives of the two shareholders, Pascale Sourisse, CEO Thales International and Senior Executive Vice-President, International Development of Thales, and Massimo Claudio Comparini, Managing Director of Leonardo’s Space Division and Chairman of the Thales Alenia Space Supervisory Board.
This visit perfectly epitomizes the strong cooperation existing between the two countries in the space field. In 2005, Thales and Leonardo, through Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio, created the Space Alliance to foster cooperation in the space sector, offering a wide range of solutions including space infrastructures and added-value services. Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio have distinguished themselves at both the European and international levels through the excellence of their solutions.
Thales Alenia Space’s teams, in Italy and France, have been working on outstanding programs across multiple fields. These include Sicral 2 and Athena-Fidus in defense telecommunications, as well as numerous Copernicus missions dedicated to environmental monitoring. Additionally, the teams contribute to Galileo and Celeste IoD navigation systems. Beyond that, Thales Alenia Space has been a key partner in various iconic space exploration missions across the solar system, to name just a few.
Full delegation including Catherine Vautrin, in the center.
“We were honored to welcome such a distinguished delegation in our Cannes’ premises to celebrate the Italian-French space bilateral friendship and cooperation existing between our two countries,” said Hervé Derrey, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space”. “Our two countries have always had complementary expertise, such as very-high-resolution optical capabilities in France and state-of-the-art radar satellites in Italy. Based on the numerous opportunities and challenges ahead, we will leverage our combined expertise to serve Europe and national sovereign space needs”.
“It is always an honor to welcome prestigious guests in our facilities,” added Deputy CEO and CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italia, Giampiero Di Paolo. “France and Italy have already come a long way together, side by side. Now, with our newest combined assets, we are ready to address emerging demands through high-revisit Earth observation small satellites combining optical and radar sensors, and large-scale constellations such as IRIS2. More than ever, France and Italy have the right cards in hand to be partners of choice on the international space stage”.
About Thales Alenia Space’s plant in Cannes:
Cannes is the corporate headquarters for Thales Alenia Space. A center of excellence for the French and European space industry, this plant has built up its skills and expertise over the last 50 years, most notably in Earth observation, telecommunications, space exploration, scientific missions and orbital infrastructures. The delegation visiting today was fascinated by the plant’s 15,000 square meters of clean rooms, making it one of the largest facility in Europe dedicated to satellite assembly, integration and testing (AIT). Also housed at this site is a center dedicated to the production of very-high-resolution optical instruments, the European benchmark in this demanding field.
About Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space leverages a unique combination of skills, technological expertise, and industrial capabilities to deliver innovative solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, defense, exploration, science, and orbital infrastructures— drawing on 50 years of proven experience. Institutions, governments, and private industry rely on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere, connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, explore our Solar System, and unlock the mysteries of the Universe. Embodied by its Space for Life purpose, Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping build a better and more sustainable life on Earth, and beyond. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of solutions including services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of €2.36 billion in 2025 and has more than 8,000 employees in 7 countries with 14 sites in Europe. #spaceforlife www.thalesaleniaspace.com