While ESA’s 1st Security Conference positioned ESA as a key security contributor and its 2nd Security Conference connected security users with space providers, this third edition aims at reinforcing and expanding the necessary relations between space and security communities, institutional frameworks, and resources.
Download the Conference Agenda
Space is becoming a prerequisite for ensuring Europe’s preparedness and resilience. The 3rd ESA Security Conference will put the spotlight on the dynamic space ecosystems of ESA Member States and supporting further integration of space and security communities, governance frameworks, and resources.
As the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union unfolds under the motto “Security, Europe”, the conference will highlight the critical role of space and emerging technologies as well as governance and financial frameworks in shaping European security and competitiveness. By gathering high-level representatives from across the continent, the occasion will support charting Europe’s course in space activities in support of Europe’s security.
By fully leveraging its diverse space ecosystem, ESA and its Member States, alongside the EU and other European stakeholders can further support European resilience and resolve in face of today’s security crises. Join us in Warsaw and help build a strong basis for future cooperation and a common purpose.
With plans underway for increased budgets for security & defence, emerging technologies, including space, stand to benefit from this momentum, unlocking new pathways for growth and technological advancement. From NATO-backed acceleration and ESA-driven incubation to industry-to-industry partnerships and venture-backed unicorns, Europe’s space sector is increasingly relied on to deliver on the continent’s security ambitions. How can the sector best leverage the upcoming funding wave to push technological boundaries and position itself as a centerpiece of future security solutions?
Thematic Speaker
Renato Krpoun, Head, Swiss Space Office
Panelists
Moderator
Matija Rencelj, Research Manager, European Space Policy Institute
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO Secretary General, Founder of Rasmussen Global
Europe’s industry is increasingly called to deliver on deepened security & defence requirements as policy ambitions push towards reducing strategic dependencies. In this context, the space and defence industrial bases are increasingly overlapping. Space companies are delivering capabilities for national ministries of defence, military forces and NATO, while pure defence companies are once again venturing towards the space sector. This panel will explore how industry and public entities are navigating these new partnerships during times of competing budget priorities and what improvements could be made to streamline the uptake of innovation into operational practices
Thematic Speaker
Andreas Geisler, Head, Austrian Space Agency
Panelists
Moderator
Isabelle Duvaux-Béchon, Senior Advisor, European Space Agency
Marco Fuchs, President, ASD Eurospace
Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes, European Space Agency
Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, ESA Project Astronaut, Poland
Zbigniew Muszyński, Director of the Government Centre for Security, Poland
Josef Aschbacher, Director General, European Space Agency
Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space
Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy and EU Rapporteur on Future of the Single Market
As global powers increasingly treat space as a strategic domain, Europe can no longer afford to lag behind. The Fireside Chat will examine the shifting geopolitics of space and the urgent need for countries across Europe to integrate security into their space policies and institutional frameworks. From safeguarding critical infrastructure to ensuring resilience in orbit, the discussion will illustrate why now is the time to treat it as a core component of Europe’s security architecture.
Speakers
Moderator
Joshua Posaner, Managing Editor, Euractiv
Sophie Lavaux, Governor for Crisis Management in the Brussels Region
Jurgen De Landsheer, Chief of Police – ZP Midi / Brussels
At present, space-based capabilities, such as GNSS, Satcom, and Earth Observation, provide significant contributions to prevention, mitigation, and response operations related to civil security, disaster management, and natural or man-made crisis events. But as the complexity and frequency of crises increase, so too does the urgency to develop a more integrated, responsive, and high-performing space infrastructure. This session will examine the case for a more performant and integrated space system pairing advanced space assets with digitised, interoperable ground systems – to enhance the continent’s ability to anticipate, manage, and respond to heightened security-related risks
Thematic Speaker
Marcin Mazur, Acting President, POLSA
Panelists
Moderator
Giulia Pavesi, Research Fellow, European Space Policy Institute
Final Keynote
13:00-13:15 Christophe Grudler, Member of the European Parliament
Closing Address
13:15-13:30 Josef Aschbacher, Director General, European Space Agency
Download our concept note for the event
Consult the Polish Presidency events page
Find the proceedings of the 2nd ESA Security Conference (May 2023) here.
Reach out to us at <ESAsecurityconference@espi.or.at>.