Director General, Italian Space Agency

Born in Catania in 1972, Dr. Salamone is a senior Italian civil servant, holding a law degree and a degree in political science. He is a lawyer and specialized in public administration. He earned a PhD in Public Law from the University of Rome Tor Vergata and holds master’s degrees in “Economic Lawyer and Public Manager” from the University of Pisa, in “International Studies” from SIOI, and in “Public Administration Management” from the Bocconi University School of Management in Milan.

Dr. Salamone, a former senior officer in the Armed Forces, has studied at important national and international training institutions and boasts almost thirty years of experience in various roles at the service of the State, allowing him to delve into both administrative and economic as well as technical-scientific issues.

Before his appointment as Director General of ASI, Dr. Salamone was the Coordinator of the Task Force for Maritime Policies at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Previously, as a manager at the Ministry of Defence, he worked at the General Secretariat of Defence and National Armaments Directorate, mainly dealing with procurement and research and technological innovation in the military and dual-use sectors, both nationally and internationally. In this context, he dealt, in particular, with NATO agreements, as well as other international agreements in the field of defense and aerospace equipment (including Sicral II, Athena-Fidus, and the dual system of radar satellites for Earth observation COSMO-SkyMed). He has also held various positions in the offices of the Minister for Economic Development, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, the Minister of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea, and, most recently, the Minister of Defence.

Dr. Salamone has also been a lecturer in international law, maritime administrative law, judicial police, and shipping law at the Naval Academy of Livorno and a teaching fellow in the Public Management course at the Higher School of the University of Catania, as well as at numerous university and post-graduate training institutes. He collaborates with various scientific journals for which he is the author of numerous scientific publications on public law – also with reference to the protection of strategic sectors – and international law.

Dr. Salamone has been awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for his merits acquired in the performance of his duties.

Since November 2023, he has been the Director General of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).