On 13, 14, and 15 July in Santander, the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) hosted the course “Competitive Opportunities for Spanish New Space: Technology, Impact, and Society,” a forum to discuss the industry’s potential, challenges, and necessities.

The event was split into three blocks: technology and industry, space impact, and space and society. A series of round tables, talks, and presentations provided a forum for discussion on the most topical affairs in the Spanish space industry. Speakers included renowned figures from the world of science and technology, from government representatives such as the Secretary General for Industry and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Raúl Blanco, and the Secretary General for Innovation, Teresa Riesgo, to representatives of institutions such as the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, as well as other scientific bodies and European companies.

GMV’s CEO, Jesús Serrano Martínez, had the chance to talk about the company’s evolution on Wednesday 13 July when he presented “GMV’s history: a journey in time from employee 1 to 2,500”. In it, he spoke about the company’s origins, the space context in which it found itself, and its trajectory from the mid-1980s to the present day, where it holds a position of leadership that has enabled it to become the sixth largest industrial group and the number one mid-cap in the European space industry, servicing nearly 900 satellites worldwide.

In addition to the major projects that GMV has undertaken throughout its history and the customer portfolio it has built up over the years, Serrano spoke about the importance of European space organizations such as ESA and the European Commission, trends in the space market, and what a company like GMV can contribute to the future of the industry.