From 24 to 25 January in Brussels, Belgium, GMV attended the sixteenth edition of the European Space Conference, an opportunity for political leaders and space industry stakeholders to come together to discuss the future of the sector in Europe. 

The year 2023 was undoubtedly a turning point for the European space sector, with the European Union continuing to work to strengthen its capabilities and foster the growth of a robust space ecosystem, thus securing its place in the space industry in an ever-changing global context.

GMV sponsored the event, which included the participation of Enrique Fraga, general manager of space systems at GMV. Fraga spoke at the session on “Defining the European approach to Secure and Autonomous Connectivity from Space,” highlighting the importance of the IRIS2 program for the European space ecosystem and the crucial role of European midcaps, not only as a result of their significant participation in the space sector, but also as an essential element in terms of meeting the required deadlines, costs, and innovation levels. He also emphasized that Europe has the opportunity to reinforce its own strengths rather than imitate the SpaceX model, advocating for a more efficient and competitive supply chain that is better prepared to take on leadership roles in the future.

Jorge Potti, GMV’s strategy director, participated in the round-table discussion on “Space Economic Security: A strategic approach for non-dependency and autonomy,” where he focused on the competitiveness and sustainability of the European space industry, geo-return, and future technologies to bet on (secure communications, space domain awareness, quantum communications, and PNT).

Meanwhile, Mariella Graziano, GMV’s director of science and exploration, participated in the round-table discussion on “The Future of European Space Exploration: Geopolitical and socioeconomic perspectives of European Human Space Flight and Robotic Exploration,” where she stressed Spain’s need for a unified space strategy. “Space exploration is key to making the European Union a true space power. Through the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA), the EU must help inspire and retain ‘local’ talent, respecting their perspectives and strong desire for a clean and safe world. Space exploration can be an effective way to achieve this, while also teaching them about the concept and value of risk and failure, key parts of life.”