From Aviation to the Airport Ecosystem: Air Tech Italy’s Vision for the Future
Director General Pier Carlo Aghemo
Following Air Tech Italy’s successful General Assembly held at Bari Airport on 12 June, Director General Pier Carlo Aghemo reflects on his first eight months leading the association, the growing importance of collaboration across the aviation sector, and why the future belongs to an integrated airport ecosystem.
You have now completed your first months as Director General of Air Tech Italy. What are your impressions so far?
Pier Carlo Aghemo:
“The past eight months have been incredibly intense, challenging and rewarding. When I joined Air Tech Italy, we immediately began working on several strategic priorities: expanding our membership base, strengthening the association’s structure, enhancing member engagement, deepening relationships with institutions and industry partners, and accelerating the internationalization of our activities.
What has impressed me most is the extraordinary willingness of our members to contribute actively to the future of the association. Many of these companies compete in the marketplace, yet they recognize that the challenges facing our industry today are too complex to be addressed individually. There is a genuine spirit of collaboration and a shared ambition to strengthen the position of Italian aviation expertise both nationally and internationally.
That is what makes this role so rewarding. Every initiative we undertake has a direct impact on our members and on the future competitiveness of our sector. We are building an organization that is becoming more visible, more influential and increasingly aligned with the needs of a rapidly evolving aviation industry.
Italian aviation expertise deserves a stronger voice on the global stage, and Air Tech Italy is working every day to make that happen.”
You recently organised your first General Assembly. What stood out for you?
Pier Carlo Aghemo:
“The General Assembly in Bari was a very important milestone for the association.
We saw strong participation both in person and online, but what mattered most was not the attendance itself. It was the clear signal that our members want Air Tech Italy to play a larger role in shaping the future of aviation and airport innovation.
Several important decisions were taken regarding the future direction of the association, including updates to our governance structure, the appointment of new Board members, the introduction of new member companies and the continued strengthening of our communications and international development activities.
We were also privileged to receive valuable contributions from Aeroporti di Puglia, Tirana International Airport and ENAC, whose perspectives helped place our discussions within a broader industry context.
What impressed me most throughout the day was the atmosphere. There was a strong sense of ambition, openness and shared purpose. The Assembly demonstrated the true value of Air Tech Italy as a platform where companies can exchange ideas, discuss challenges and identify new opportunities together.
One of the most significant outcomes was the further development of our airport ecosystem approach. Aviation does not operate in isolation. Airports, mobility providers, technology companies, infrastructure specialists and public institutions are increasingly interconnected.
The future will belong to those who can collaborate across these boundaries. Together, we possess far greater knowledge, capabilities and innovative capacity than any individual organisation could achieve alone. That is one of the greatest strengths of Air Tech Italy.”
The future of transportation increasingly depends on integration between different modes of mobility. How does this fit into your vision?
Pier Carlo Aghemo:
“This is precisely why Air Tech Italy has embraced the airport ecosystem concept as a central pillar of its strategy.
Aviation is no longer a standalone industry. Airports are evolving from transportation infrastructure into integrated mobility hubs that connect passengers, businesses, technologies and services.
Travelers increasingly expect seamless journeys from origin to destination. Whether they continue their trip by rail, road transport, public mobility services or, in the future, advanced air mobility solutions, the expectation remains the same: simplicity, efficiency and connectivity.
Intermodality is therefore becoming a fundamental component of both passenger experience and airport competitiveness.
By bringing together organizations from different parts of the transportation and mobility ecosystem, we can contribute to improving operational efficiency, sustainability and service quality. This vision is fully aligned with the direction being promoted by national institutions and with the transformation already underway across many airports worldwide.
For Air Tech Italy, this represents a major opportunity.
New technologies, new business models and new partnerships are emerging. Our objective is to ensure that Italian companies are not merely observing these changes, but actively leading them.”
How do you see the role of Air Tech Italy evolving, and why should aviation companies become members?
Pier Carlo Aghemo:
“Air Tech Italy is evolving from a traditional trade association into a strategic platform for growth, visibility and international development.
Our members are not passive participants. They actively contribute to defining priorities, shaping initiatives and guiding the future direction of the organisation. This level of involvement ensures that the association remains closely connected to the real needs of the industry.
Membership means becoming part of a network that brings together airports, technology providers, engineering firms, manufacturers, service companies, institutions and an increasingly broad range of stakeholders from the wider transportation ecosystem.
It creates opportunities to exchange expertise, identify business opportunities, participate in international events and trade missions, contribute to industry position papers and jointly promote Italian excellence around the world.
The reality is that no organization can successfully address today’s challenges alone.
Digital transformation, sustainability, cybersecurity, workforce development, passenger experience and intermodal mobility all require collaboration. Increasingly, collaboration itself is becoming a competitive advantage.
Air Tech Italy provides the environment where these conversations can take place and where concrete initiatives can be developed.
Most importantly, our mission is simple: help our members grow. Whether through greater visibility, stronger institutional relationships, access to new international markets or participation in strategic projects, we want every member company to see measurable value from being part of the association.”
Looking ahead, where do you see Air Tech Italy in 2027?
Pier Carlo Aghemo:
“By 2027, I want Air Tech Italy to be recognized as the leading voice of Italian aviation technology, airport expertise and innovation, both nationally and internationally.
When airports, aviation authorities and industry stakeholders think about Italian excellence, I want Air Tech Italy to be immediately associated with quality, innovation and the ability to deliver integrated solutions across the entire airport ecosystem.
To achieve this, we will continue expanding our membership, strengthening our international presence, deepening cooperation with institutions such as ENAC and other industry associations, and developing initiatives focused on digital transformation, sustainability and intermodal mobility.
At the same time, we want to become increasingly execution-oriented.
Networking and visibility remain important, but our ambition goes further. We want to facilitate partnerships, support market development, contribute to industry discussions and help our members identify concrete business opportunities both in Italy and abroad.
The aviation sector is undergoing profound transformation. Airports are becoming multimodal hubs. Technology is reshaping operations. Sustainability is becoming a central business driver.
These changes create enormous opportunities for companies that are prepared to innovate and collaborate.
The future of aviation will not be built by individual organizations acting alone. It will be built through collaboration across the entire airport ecosystem.
Air Tech Italy intends to be the platform where that future takes shape.”
Many thanks Pier Carlo for this very inspiring interview and your openness!