OBSERVER: Four takeaways from EU Space Days 2024
OBSERVER: Four takeaways from EU Space Days 2024
evan
Wed, 27/11/2024 – 12:07
EU Space Days, formerly known as EU Space Week, is the Union’s flagship event for space policy and the EU Space Programme.
Held on 20–21 November in Budapest, Hungary, the event brought together policymakers, space industry players, and entrepreneurs from all walks of life to share knowledge and experience on how businesses, governments, and society at large can benefit from the EU Space Programme.
In today’s Observer, we take a quick look at four key takeaways from this year’s edition.
1 – Space and defence are intertwined
Space has always been a strategic resource for defence users, with data from space assets playing an important role in security and defence strategies. Satellites enable secure communications, navigation, and reconnaissance, providing critical information needed to improve situational awareness, support decision-making, and ensure optimal command and control. Components of the EU Space Programme such as Galileo and soon GovSatCom are developed to support both civilian and security applications. Though Copernicus data and services were primarily used for environmental monitoring, it too has demonstrable value in security and defence applications such as border surveillance, maritime monitoring, humanitarian and disaster response. The European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), through the EU Space Programme and in alignment with the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence, are now looking to further expand the development of dual-use space technologies, supporting companies in the space sector in creating innovative solutions that serve both defence and civilian users.
In a roundtable on this topic, Kacper Grzesiak from ICEYE explained how an Earth Observation company with a focus on civilian applications can pivot to provide valuable services to the defence sector. He highlighted how ICEYE has leveraged its SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology, initially developed for sea ice monitoring, to support defence activities. ICEYE’s early development was supported by funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 SME Instrument, which helped the company advance its SAR capabilities. Now, ICEYE provides SAR data for a variety of defence applications and currently delivers radar data to Ukraine to support its military operations.
The EU can help space companies and startups move towards providing defence services by funding innovative projects. However, faster delivery of funds and simplified processes are crucial. Chiara Manfletti, CEO of Neuraspace, noted that slow procurement processes and market fragmentation hampers the development of startups. She stressed the need for large-scale funding and streamlined access to government programmes. In addition, stronger cooperation between Member States could reduce dependence on non-European markets and boost economic growth.
2 – Europe needs innovation in the space sector
Europe holds good market positions in satellite navigation and in Earth Observation. However, in a discussion about innovation in the European space sector, speakers stressed that Europe faces pressure from international markets and must create new tools to maintain and grow this edge.
Participants stressed the need to accelerate innovation. While Europe excels in research, it lags behind in translating academic results into market-ready products. Collaboration and supportive ecosystems are key to nurturing ideas and turning them into commercial successes. Horizon Europe and initiatives such as CASSINI have emerged as important programmes for funding innovation and bringing it closer to market.
3 – CASSINI is fuelling space entrepreneurship
Since its creation, CASSINI has supported hundreds of startups providing help at all stages of growth—from early ideas to late-stage development. Beyond funding, it has raised awareness among investors, encouraging more to back European space companies.
In discussions, CASSINI hackathons were highlighted as an important instrument for getting academic researchers and students to connect EU space technologies with real-world applications. These events push participants to develop solutions that may not yet exist on the market, enriching the sector. Free access to Copernicus data was also discussed as an important factor for companies developing software and data-driven services.
The Flight Ticket Initiative, part of the IOD/IOV programme, was also mentioned as an important programme to boost innovation. It provides co-funding of launch services to European companies and organisations to fly their services and test new satellite technologies in orbit. PLD Space is one of the companies recently signed onto this initiative. Francesc Casas from PLD Space talked about how this initiative has increased PLD Space’s credibility and attracted more interest from other potential clients.
However, despite these strides, roundtable entrepreneurs often talked about how Europe remains risk averse. It was pointed out that while Europe does well in funding early-stage ideas, it needs to step up its support for startups with advanced concepts or prototypes.
4 – The European space sector needs talent
Europe is suffering from skills gaps across the economy, exacerbated by a declining workforce. Discussions at the EU Space Days highlighted the need for strategic changes in education and training to meet the evolving needs of the industry.
Speakers, particularly those leading companies in the space sector, stressed that the industry needs more than just aerospace engineers. Experts in maths, AI, machine learning, and operations also play a big role. However, many students and young professionals in these fields do not realise their skills could land them a space job. To bridge this gap, speakers suggested raising awareness of the diversity of roles and opportunities in the space sector.
Initiatives such as SPACE4GEO also aim to help address this skills gap in the workforce. The SPACE4GEO Large-Scale Skills Partnership promotes activities aimed at upskilling and reskilling the workforce and attracting new talent to careers in the downstream space and geo-information sector. The European Commission’s Space Career Launchpad adds a further layer of support, providing job boards, internship vouchers, and educational resources to inspire and guide students towards space-related careers.
EU Space Days 2024 provided an opportunity for multiple stakeholders to discuss Europe’s need to innovate, support entrepreneurs, and bridge talent gaps to remain competitive. By accelerating procurement, increasing funding, and connecting diverse skills to the space sector, the EU can improve its position as a global space leader in a rapidly evolving market.
If you missed this edition of EU Space Days, don’t worry! The next edition is already scheduled for May 2025 in Gdansk, Poland, so mark your calendar!
In the meantime, you can watch the recorded livestreams for this year’s event below.
Thu, 28/11/2024 – 12:00
