Lombardia Aerospace Cluster in the United States with the Lombardy Region: new opportunities for international cooperation

The Lombardy Aerospace Cluster, represented by board member Tommaso Tirelli, took part in an institutional mission to the United States organized by the Lombardy Region, led by President Attilio Fontana and Undersecretary for International and European Relations Raffaele Cattaneo. It served as a significant opportunity for dialogue among institutions, businesses, and the research community, with a focus on innovation, new technologies, and international cooperation.

This mission is part of the ongoing collaboration between the Lombardy Region and the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF)—the primary organization representing Italian Americans in North America. The Lombardy Region has been selected as the “Region of Honor” for the 2026 NIAF, an appointment that was celebrated in Washington during events surrounding the traditional NIAF Gala.

The mission began in Washington on October 15, featuring activities promoted by the Transatlantic Harmonic Foundation in collaboration with the Italian Embassy, ​​the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Made in Italy—including an Italy-USA matchmaking event focused on innovation, artificial intelligence, trusted technologies, and reciprocal investments.

Next came the 2026 edition of the US THF / TIC Stakeholders’ Meeting—a bilateral summit focused on political and business dialogue between the United States and Italy—as well as the NIAF Forum, which aims to foster exchanges and partnerships between Italy and the Italian-American business and scientific community. The mission then continued in Florida, featuring activities and meetings held under the framework of the existing Memorandum of Cooperation between the Lombardy region and the government of Florida.

For the Lombardy Aerospace Cluster, this participation represented an opportunity to showcase the excellence of the Lombardy aerospace supply chain, strengthen dialogue with U.S. partners, and foster new industrial and technological synergies.

A further step toward consolidating the international standing of the Lombardy aerospace ecosystem and creating new opportunities for collaboration between Italy and the United States.