Naples will be the city that will host in 2012 the IAC (International Astronautical Congress), one of the most important events in the world of aerospace research. The Minister of Education, University and Research Mariastella Gelmini had strongly supported the candidacy of Italy as host country of the event, managing to overcome competition from the Portuguese. The city of Naples was officially announced as the host of the event during the 2009 IAC in Daejoon, South Korea, after a vote by the General Assembly of the International Astronautical Federation.