Draft:Optec
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Last edited by Qwerfjkl (bot) (talk | contribs) 34 hours ago. (Update) |
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry |
|
| Founded | November 21, 1985 in Rho, Italy |
| Headquarters |
|
| Revenue | EUR 6.8 million (2024) |
Number of employees | 38 (2025) |
| Website | optec.eu |
Optec S.p.A. is an Italian company specializing in the design and production of advanced optical systems for industrial, scientific, and space applications. Founded in 1985 in Rho, it has its registered office in Novara [1] and operational facilities in Parabiago and Busto Garolfo, both located in the Metropolitan City of Milan.
The company operates in the fields of optoelectronics, machine vision, industrial automation, and optical systems for research, defense, and space applications, collaborating with major international organizations such as NASA and ESA. It is involved in all stages of system development, from defining optical specifications to manufacturing and system integration. The company also has an in-house metrology laboratory and precision engineering departments for the production of high-tolerance optical and mechanical components. [2]
History
[edit]1980s: Origins
[edit]Optec was founded in 1985 in a 90 m² apartment in the center of Rho. Following the entry of four additional partners, the company expanded its operational space by annexing a second adjacent apartment, where its first laboratory was established.
In 1986 Optec completed a project for Olivetti and gained access to research programs funded by the European Economic Community for the development of a high-resolution scanner.
1990s: Technological Growth
[edit]In 1990 Optec moved its headquarters to a 400 m² industrial facility, also located in Rho. The following year, it developed a flight simulator for Aeritalia, and in 1992 it created the Flash Dent system, an innovative dental solution that introduced a technological alternative to the patented systems of the time.
In 1994 Optec obtained its first contract with NASA, followed in 1996 by the development of an optical system for banknote inspection during printing. In the years that followed, the company supplied more than 60 systems to national mints in various countries.
2000s: Industrial Expansion
[edit]In 2000 the company acquired its first proprietary facility in Parabiago.
Between 2004 and 2017, Optec developed and produced the first intelligent laser welding system for automotive applications, working with customers including Comau and FIAT. In 2006, the company realized its first in-house optical technology designed for use in space applications.
In 2010 the Parabiago facility was expanded with the construction of a second floor, designated for research and development departments.
2010s: Entry into the Space Sector
[edit]In 2011 Optec began a collaboration with Tecnottica Consonni, leading to the creation of Optica Group, a consortium dedicated to advanced optical systems. In the same year the company became a partner of the European Space Agency, obtaining a bidder number that qualified it as an official supplier of optical components and payloads for space missions.
In 2017 the company established its U.S. subsidiary, Optec America Inc., based in Los Angeles, California, and in 2021 it expanded its infrastructure with the acquisition of a new facility in Busto Garolfo. This building was designated for new production areas, while the previously acquired Parabiago facility was allocated to laboratories and research and development activities. [3]
2020s: International Growth
[edit]Between 2017 and 2023 Optec developed a high-precision optical zoom system for the United States Department of Defense, delivering eight prototypes and signing a five-year contract for the production of an additional 34 systems, for a total of 68 units.
In 2023 the company acquired an additional building adjacent to the Busto Garolfo site, further expanding its production capacity.
Space Missions
[edit]Optec contributed to the production of the polarimeter for the Metis experiment, onboard the European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Orbiter spacecraft launched in 2020. Metis is a coronagraph that simultaneously observes the solar corona in polarized visible light (580–640 nm) and in the ultraviolet Lyman-α hydrogen line (121.6 nm), enabling the study of solar wind dynamics and coronal mass ejections. [4]
In 2020 Optec designed and manufactured the main optical system of the Slovenian microsatellite NEMO-HD, developed by the SPACE-SI Centre of Excellence in collaboration with the UTIAS/Space Flight Laboratory at the University of Toronto. The satellite, launched aboard the European VEGA SSMS rocket on 2 September 2020, is dedicated to high-definition Earth observation and combines multispectral imaging with real-time video. The optical system developed by Optec includes a diffraction-limited dioptric telescope with a focal length of 360 mm and an F/2.3 focal ratio, featuring active focusing to maintain performance from 20 km to infinity and across a thermal range from –20°C to +60°C. [5]
Optec contributed to the development of the optical payload onboard the ArgoMoon microsatellite, built by the Italian company Argotec for NASA’s Artemis I mission. ArgoMoon was the only European satellite included in the inaugural launch of the Space Launch System (SLS), successfully conducted on 16 November 2022, and was tasked with documenting the rocket’s separation phases and capturing close-up imagery of the Moon during the flyby. [2]
In 2022, Optec participated in NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, the first in history to intentionally alter the trajectory of an asteroid. The company supplied optical components for the Italian satellite LICIACube, developed by Argotec on behalf of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), which was tasked with documenting the impact of the NASA spacecraft on the asteroid Dimorphos. [6]
In the same year Optec was selected as an industrial partner for the IRIDE program, one of the most significant European satellite constellations dedicated to Earth observation. The project, promoted by the Italian government and funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), is managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) with the support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Optec participates in the program as part of the industrial team led by OHB Italia, alongside Telespazio and Aresys, for the development of the high-resolution multispectral mission. [7]
Scientific Collaborations
[edit]Optec contributed to the development of the AntarctiCor coronagraph for the ESCAPE project (Extreme Solar Coronagraphy Antarctic Program Experiment), carried out within the framework of the Italian National Antarctic Research Program and linked to the coronagraphic studies of the ESA PROBA-3 mission. The instrument was successfully installed at the Concordia Station in Dome C, where it enabled sky characterization and the acquisition of scientific data on the solar corona. [8]
Optec supplied the coronagraph used in the CorMAG (Coronal Magnetograph) instrument, developed by the Astrophysical Observatory of Turin. The instrument was launched in 2022 aboard a stratospheric balloon during a joint campaign by the Canadian Space Agency and the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) in Timmins, Canada. [9]
Notes
[edit]- ^ "OPTEC S.P.A., Partita IVA: 01138480031, Fatturato, Dipendenti, PEC". www.ufficiocamerale.it.
- ^ a b Annarita Cacciamani (2025-03-24). "Massimiliano Musazzi: «La precisione ottica può cambiare la sicurezza nello spazio»". Innovation Hero (in Italian).
- ^ "BTL Banca e Cassa Centrale Banca sostengono i progetti di sviluppo di Optec S.p.A. nella space economy". www.bancadelterritoriolombardo.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
- ^ Antonucci, Ester; Romoli, Marco; Andretta, Vincenzo; Fineschi, Silvano; Heinzel, Petr; Moses, J. Daniel; Naletto, Giampiero; Nicolini, Gianalfredo; Spadaro, Daniele; Teriaca, Luca; Berlicki, Arkadiusz; Capobianco, Gerardo; Crescenzio, Giuseppe; Deppo, Vania Da; Focardi, Mauro (2020-10-01). "Metis: the Solar Orbiter visible light and ultraviolet coronal imager". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 642: A10. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935338. ISSN 0004-6361.
- ^ "Made in Italy le Ottiche dei Microsatelliti di prossima Generazione per l'osservazione e il monitoraggio della Terra - Tecnottica Consonni". Tecnottica Consonni (in Italian). 2023-09-04. Archived from the original on 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
- ^ Orlando, Luca (2023-02-09). "Space Economy, l'Osservazione della Terra vale 200 milioni". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
- ^ Madeddu, Davide (2022-12-03). "Iride, in Italia 22 satelliti e investimenti per 68 milioni". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
- ^ massimo (2020-09-29). "AntarctiCor | Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino" (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
- ^ "BTL Banca e Cassa Centrale Banca sostengono i progetti di sviluppo di Optec S.p.A. nella space economy". www.bancadelterritoriolombardo.it (in Italian).