Dr. Luca Vincenzo Maria Salamone is a Senior Civil Servant with a degree in Economics (with a specialization in digital innovation and global markets), in Political Science and in Law. He also holds a specialization in Public Administration Sciences and is qualified as a lawyer; in addition, he holds a PhD in Public Law from Tor Vergata University, Rome, and master’s degrees “Economic Law and Public Management” from the University of Pisa, “International Studies” from SIOI and “Management of Public Authorities” from the Bocconi University School of Management, Milan.

Dr. Salamone – formerly a senior officer in the Armed Forces (Italian Navy), serving in various complex military commands – has studied in leading national and international training institutions. In 2007 and 2008, Dr. Salamone served as Commander of the Italian Coast Guard in Lampedusa and the Pelagie Islands, with particular responsibility for monitoring and countering migration flows by sea, as well as for maritime surveillance and the prevention and enforcement of unlawful activities at sea.

In particular, prior to his appointment to Director General of ASI, Dr. Salamone was Coordinator of the Mission Structure for Sea Policies at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Previously, as a manager at the Ministry of Defence, he worked at the Defence General Secretariat and National Armaments Directorate, dealing mainly with procurement and research and technological innovation in the military and dual-use sector, both nationally and internationally. In this role, he had a particular focus on NATO and other international contracts for defence and aerospace equipment (including Sicral II, Athena-Fidus and the COSMO-SkyMed dual-use system of Earth observation radar satellites). He has also held a variety of positions in the advisory councils of the Ministry for Economic Development, the Ministry for Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry for the Environment and the Protection of Land and Sea and, most recently, the Ministry of Defence.

Dr. Salamone has also lectured on international law, maritime administrative law, judicial police and the law of the seas at Livorno Naval Academy, and was adjunct lecturer in Public Management at the University of Catania's School of Advanced Studies, as well as at numerous university and post-graduate training institutes. He contributes to a number of scientific journals, having authored numerous scientific articles on public law - also with reference to the protection of strategic industries - and international law. Dr. Salamone was awarded the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine “Al Merito della Repubblica Italiana” (Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) for his career in public service.

Dr. Luca Vincenzo Maria Salamone is Director General of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and a senior Italian civil servant with almost thirty years of experience in public administration, defence, space and strategic industries. Holding degrees in Economics, Political Science and Law, as well as a PhD in Public Law, he previously served at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department of maritime policies and the Ministry of Defence, focusing on maritime activities, aerospace, dual-use technologies and international procurement.
He is also a lecturer and author of numerous publications on public and international law, with particular expertise in strategic topics and space policy.