Dr. Tommaso Ghidini | Independent Board Member

Dr Tommaso Ghidini heads the Structures, Mechanisms and Materials Division of the European Space Agency (ESA). He manages leading engineers, managers and scientists providing core competences in crucial engineering disciplines to all ESA space missions and technology development programs.

ESA’s Structures, Mechanisms and Materials Division is entrusted with verifying the flightworthiness and reliability of the most complex European satellites and rockets systems. It also sets common industrial standards and resources for every aspect of manufacturing, verification and testing of highly competitive engineering products, guaranteeing the availability of sustainable and long-term strategic technologies, with large return of investment in non-space industrial sectors.

Accordingly, Dr Ghidini manages a suite of state-of-the-art laboratories, computational centres and test facilities, variously based within ESA establishments and externally across the Agency Member States. Dr. Ghidini’s role additionally involves the chairing of procurement boards for forthcoming satellite and launcher programmes, as well as large research and technology developments.

He is interfacing directly with international space agencies, industry, academia and research centres for the definition, approval, implementation of the national space and aerospace industrial strategy and associated programs. He also consistently serves as an official ESA spokesperson, authorised to speak on behalf of the Agency with high-level audiences and media representatives worldwide, including divulgation events and TEDx Talks.

Dr Ghidini is an invited member of the Board of Advisors of the Politecnico of Milano as well as of the ASTM Centre of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing, in the United States.

He is lecturing in different European Universities and before joining the Agency, he has worked for AIRBUS in Bremen on all major civil and military Programme of the European aeronautical industry including the A380, A350 and A400M aircraft. Dr Ghidini has received a number of national and international awards for major aerospace industrial developments, as well as personal and scientific achievements.