Monaco Women Forum 2025: The New Space Race

This year, the Monaco Women Forum, held under the High Patronage of H.S.H Princess Charlene of Monaco, on March 21st, took us on an inspiring journey into the heart of The New Space Race, where innovation meets exploration.

Through three expert-led panels, the Forum delved into the key challenges and opportunities shaping the future of space and advanced technologies:

🚀 Panel 1 – Space Technologies for Environmental and Climate Solutions
We explored how Europe is leading the way in Earth observation technologies, which are becoming increasingly precise and essential to understand and anticipate climate change. Artificial intelligence is accelerating data analysis, while the fight against space pollution — with actors like ClearSpace Luxembourg — has emerged as a vital priority.

🌌 Panel 2 – The New Space Race: Missions, Innovation, and Human Presence
Moderated by Dr. Giovanna Tinetti, this panel shed light on cutting-edge developments in quantum-secured communication, plans to return to the Moon, future lunar habitats, and the growing role of emerging nations in the space industry.

🛰 Panel 3 – Space Law, Cybersecurity, and the Governance of Space
Led by Valentina Colman, Vice President of the Forum, the final panel tackled pressing topics around regulation, sovereignty, cybersecurity, and global governance. Speakers from space agencies, international organizations, and government bodies debated the challenges of information sharing between countries, electromagnetic threats, and the enforcement of space treaties.

The Monaco Women Forum is committed to spotlighting the expertise, achievements, and innovations of women from around the world. At a time when many global conferences still showcase a majority of male speakers, we aim to shift the narrative — creating a space where women lead the conversations about our collective future. Not by excluding men, but by amplifying the voices of women who are too often unheard.

Discover our Speakers

Cinzia Sgambati COLMAN, Founder and President

A Forum of Excellence and Commitment

"This year's event demonstrated the growing importance of women in the space and technology sector, and laid the foundations for an essential debate on the responsible governance of space", says Cinzia Sgambati Colman, founder and president of the Monaco Women Forum.

A strong emphasis was placed on Europe’s leading role in Earth observation technologies, as Dr. Francesca Cipollinihighlighted the importance of space data in climate change mitigation. Dr. Sandrine Mathieu of ACRI-ST added that the analysis of this data allows us to understand and predict key environmental phenomena, turning observation into action.

Dr. Marco Rocchetto of Spaceflux stressed the vital role of AI in managing the immense volumes of data collected from space, making interpretation faster and more precise. In parallel, Eng. Sabrina Andiappane of ClearSpace Luxembourg urged action on space debris, warning: “Let’s not repeat in space the same environmental mistakes we made on Earth.”

A core theme of trust and collaboration emerged during Panel 3, moderated by Valentina Colman, Vice President of the Forum. Prefect Alessandra Guidi, Deputy Director-General of the Italian Department of Security Intelligence, warned that "keeping intelligence too classified may hinder growth and leave nations vulnerable." Eng. Domitilla Benigni expanded on the evolving nature of threats, which now include electromagnetic interference, beyond classic cybersecurity risks.

Dr. Bianca Lins addressed Europe’s challenge of over-regulation, stating that “it may slow down innovation and public-private cooperation.” Meanwhile, Rosanna Hoffmann from the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs gave an insightful overview of the history and fragility of international space treaties, raising the issue of how to enforce regulations in a rapidly evolving sector.

Panel 2, moderated by Dr. Giovanna Tinetti, Head of the Astrophysics Group at UCL, delved into quantum communications and human space exploration. Dr. Johanna Sepúlveda presented Europe’s investment in secure infrastructure through the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure, and Eng. Federica Vagnone of Thales Alenia Space revealed upcoming habitable modules for lunar missions, part of the roadmap to future Mars exploration.

Eng. Nia Asmady of PSN Indonesia emphasized the growing role of emerging space nations, detailing how her country is investing in infrastructure and global cooperation to establish itself as a key player in the sector.

More than a conference, it is a movement, showcasing how women drive the future of our industries, our societies, and our planet—on Earth and beyond.

More Details

Speakers

Dr. Bianca Lins

Dr. Bianca Lins, LL.M. is a Legal & Compliance Officer at the Liechtenstein Office for Communications (OfCom), the regulatory authority, inter alia, for the electronic communication and space sector. Bianca is leading the Liechtenstein Space Department and is responsible for establishing and developing the field of space both nationally and internationally. Bianca is responsible for the implementation of legal requirements and co-drafted the Liechtenstein Space Act and the Liechtenstein Cybersecurity Act. She served as first female Chair of the ITSO Advisory Committee (2023/2024), is the ITSO Regional Vice-Chair for Region B (Western Europe), member of the EUTELSAT IGO Advisory Committee and the ITSO Panel of Legal Experts. Additionally, she is a Legal Expert for satellite coordination issues for the Liechtenstein Administration. Before working for OfCom, she served in a research capacity at the University of Liechtenstein, where she continues to teach, notably Cybersecurity & Law. In addition to that, she is an author, speaker and mentor. In 2023, Bianca was honored with the "Cybersecurity Woman of the Year Award" in the Law Professional category. She has also been named the winner of the 2024 "Cybersecurity Woman of the World Award," which was presented at the end of September in Slovenia. She shares her expertise through various mediums such as publications, podcasts and lectures. In her early career, Bianca worked in IT and financial markets.

Dr. Francesca Cipollini

Francesca Cipollini graduated in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Rome "La Sapienza", where she also obtained her PhD. She began her career at the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2002 within the Technical and Quality Management Directorate at ESTEC, ESA establishment in the Netherlands. Over the past 20 years, Francesca Cipollini has held various positions across a broad spectrum of technical, operational, and managerial domains in multiple ESA establishments. Her expertise encompasses the definition, implementation, and management of research and development activities for satellites and re-entry vehicles, as well as the technical and operational management of ground support systems for Launchers and Earth observation satellites. Following extensive experience in the Space Transportation Directorate at ESA Headquarters in Paris, notably in the technical management of the launch range systems at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, she joined in 2016 to the Directorate for Earth Observation Programmes at ESRIN, ESA establishment in Italy, where she managed key operational activities within the Copernicus programme. Since 2022, Francesca Cipollini is the Head of the ESA Ground Segment and Data Management Division, responsible for the development and operations of satellite data processing and distribution systems for ESA Earth observation missions.

Dr. Johanna Sepulveda

Johanna Sepúlveda received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering – Microelectronics by the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She was a Senior Researcher in the area of security and emerging technologies at the University of South Brittany (France), INRIA (France) and at the Technical University of Munich (Germany). Currently she holds a position as the Airbus Senior Expert on Quantum-Secure Technologies and Technical Domain Manager for Quantum Technologies in all Airbus Defence and Space, being Chief Engineer of different European quantum initiatives such as the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI). Also she is the vice-chair of the Strategic Advisory Board of Quantum Technologies for the European Commission and leader of the Strategic Industry Roadmap at the Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC). She has more than 15 years of experience in R&T and R&D in the area of security, networked systems, HPC and quantum technologies.

Rosanna Hoffmann

Rosanna Hoffmann leads the “Space Law for New Space Actors” project at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), supporting UN Member States in drafting and implementing national space laws to promote responsible, safe and sustainable outer space activities. Previously, she was Executive Officer of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) at the European Space Agency (ESA), overseeing operations, representing ECSL at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), and organizing space law workshops. As Associate Legal Officer in ESA’s Public International Law Division, she provided legal advice on international and national space law to ESA Member States. Earlier, Rosanna was a lecturer at the University of Vienna, teaching public international law and coaching the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court team. She also worked at Austria’s Ministry of Justice, responsible for labour law.

Dr. Sandrine Mathieu

Dr Sandrine Mathieu obtained her PHD thesis in "Physical methods for remote sensing" in 1994. In 1996 and 1997 she was a research assistant at University of Maryland (USA), in the UMIACS department in projects involving land use classification with spectral unmixing processing for the Grand Challenge Project of USGS. From 2000 to 2021 she was part of the Thales Alenia Space teams, working in the Observation Exploration and Navigation department. Her main studies and work focus on environment and civil security applications especially regarding coastal zones problematic, e.g. 2D and 3D data fusion for scene interpretation. She was in charge of hyperspectral activities regarding processing and applications of images and databases. In 2013 she was part of the Copernicus Sentinel 3 program development, in charge of the technical specifications of the End-to-End Optical System Performance Simulator, assessing the global performance of the system and providing test data sets to the operational Ground Segment. Then, In the Meteosat Third Generation team she handled the position of Instrument Quality Tool technical Manager, embedding Imaging and Sounding instruments (FCI, IRS, LI and UVN). From 2018 to 2021 she held the position of Product Line Manager of the Meteorology, Environment and Oceanography missions within Thales Alenia Space. Gathering all satellite missions of these 3 domains regarding Climate change problematic. She has the End to End system vision allowing to link the EO products and services to the appropriate space segment and processing. She is part of French COSPACE Applications working group. In 2022, she joined the ACRI-ST Group, an independent SME, partner of space agencies, at the service of satellite data users, combining scientific research and engineering of complex environmental systems. She was first deputy director of the Space Science Earth Observation department and now responsible of Institutional relations.

Sabrina Andiappane

Sabrina has been working for more than 10 years in the Space industry, from Engineering to Project Management up to Strategy and Business development for New Business Initiatives. She was the Head of On-Orbit Servicing for Thales Alenia Space from 2020 before joining ClearSpace in 2023 where she is now the Managing Director for ClearSpace Luxembourg and the Chief Commercial Officer. Sabrina has a Master of Telecommunications and holds several awards such as the Trophy of the Women in Industry as a promising newcomer in 2017 and the Stars of Europe award in 2019 with her work with European Projects. In 2021, she gave a TedX talk in Cannes titled " Space Pollution: are we really going to make this mistake?" She is currently one of the French major broadcast TF1 experts on space topics.

Eng. Federica Vagnone

Federica Vagnone, 29 years old, is an aerospace engineer who graduated at Politecnico di Torino and completed her studies at ISAE Supaero in Toulouse. Since 2019, she works as a Systems Engineer for human space exploration programs at Thales Alenia Space Italia. Federica is currently involved in on the Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH) module together with the Italian Space Agency and NASA, in the frame of the Artemis program, with the exciting vision to design and develop the first habitable module for the lunar surface. In her role, she organizes engineering tasks while addressing risks and opportunities, navigating the challenges posed by lunar conditions such as partial gravity, lunar dust, temperature excursion from days to nights, lack of magnetic field shielding against radiations.

Eng. Nia Asmady

M.S. Aerospace Engineering graduate with 7 years of experience in space industry. Technical lead in tender, design, and project management for Government PPP telecommunications satellite project, SATRIA-1. Research experience in complex systems management, as well as unmanned aircraft systems. Key achievement: SATRIA-1 is a National Strategic Project of Indonesia to implement satellite broadband communications for the Government of Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics. The significance of this program is to provide internet access for schools, health centers, and public service offices all around Indonesia, especially rural areas where no to little connectivity is available. The objective of the Public-Private Partnership project is to ensure more equal level playing for all Indonesians to partake in the growing digital economy and achieve improved quality of life, especial in terms of education and health. Nia was part of this program from the very beginning during tender and design phase in 2019, until the satellite was launched and tested in orbit in 2023. During the years, the scope of work grew with more responsibilities. As a 29-year-old, it was a challenging experience to undertake a leadership role in a national program, working with international partners from France, United States, and more. Nevertheless, the passion for space and the industry grew naturally, as she worked with people from many different cultures and disciplines. Her aspiration is to promote space technology and to work towards Indonesia’s national capacities in creating space ecosystems.

Dr. Marco Rocchetto

Dr. Marco Rocchetto, CEO and co-Founder of Telescope Live and Spaceflux, brings a wealth of experience with 15 years in data analytics, management, and entrepreneurship, combined with a strong foundation in astrophysics, holding a PhD from University College London. His early contributions include work on the ESA ARIEL Space Mission and the co-discovery of the first super-earth with an atmosphere. Transitioning to technology, Marco led R&D in robotics and cloud-edge technologies at Konica Minolta for 4 years before founding Telescope Live, a leading platform for astrophotographers, in 2019. In 2022, he co-founded Spaceflux, enhancing Space Situational Awareness (SSA) with a global network of optical sensors and advanced AI-driven analysis, aimed at preventing collisions and improving space safety.

Dr. Domitilla Benigni

Domitilla Benigni is a shareholder, together with her family, of the company Elettronica SpA, where she is now Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, having previously held positions in the main corporate functions: from Strategic Planning to Business Development to Projects & Products. The company, which is also owned by Leonardo and Thales, is an international reality with over 70 years of history in advanced electronic defence systems and today the Elt Group brand is an international reality with a multi-domain approach that also covers Cyber, Space and Biodefence. Since 2020, she has been President of the investee company Cy4Gate, a company specialising in the design, development and marketing of Cyber Intelligence & Cyber Security solutions for governments and companies, and listed in the Star segment of the Italian Stock Exchange. She is a founding member, together with 30 other European women key players, of the Women4Cyber Foundation, an initiative created by ECSO in 2019 and sponsored by the European Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society with the aim of increasing the involvement of European women in the cyber domain. Since 2021, she has been founder and President of the Italian Chapter of the same Foundation. Since June 2022, she has been a member of the Technical Scientific Committee of the National Cybersecurity Agency and since November of the same year, she has been a member of the Technical Scientific Committee of the Centro Studi Militari Aeronautici (CESMA), a think tank of the Associazione Arma Aeronautica (AAA). In 1995, she graduated in Electronic Engineering from the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’. She is married and has two children.

Prefect Alessandra Guidi

During her prefectural career since 1990 she has held a number of positions in the Cabinet of the Ministy of Interior, particularly in the public safety, anti-mafia and organized crime departments. After a period in the Ministry of Justice as Head of the Secretariat of the Minister, in 2017 was appointed as Police Vice-Chief undertaking police coordination and planning functions. In 2020 she was nominated Prefect in Florence, and since September 2021 she has been appointed as Vice-General Manager of Information and Security Department (DIS) established at Italian Presidency of the council of the Ministry.