CIRA is a private-public company established in 1984, whose shareholders are the National Research Council, the Campania Region and Italian aerospace industries. Its headquarters and operational structures are located in Capua, Campania.
In 1989, the Italian Government entrusted CIRA with the implementation and management of the National Aerospace Research Program (PRO.R.A.), thanks to which CIRA has achieved:
- the most important aerospace research infrastructures in Italy with unique test facilities in the world and state-of-the-art laboratories used by national and international organizations and industries;
- scientific skills that contribute to making it an internationally recognized and appreciated Centre of excellence in aeronautical and space disciplines.
The approval, in 2020, of the New PRO.R.A. marks the beginning of a new multi-year cycle made of strategic research and technological development projects and new laboratories and test facilities in the field of: sustainable, resilient and safe air transport, advanced air mobility with autonomous and/or remotely-piloted aircrafts, innovative propulsion systems, access to and exploration of space, Earth Observation and suborbital and stratospheric flights.