On 3 April 2025, the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) and the European Space Agency (ESA) hosted the workshop “The Policy Value of Earth Observation” at the Royal Society in London.
The event convened over 40 stakeholders, including active members of parliament, former ministers, former and active high-level EU executives, thought leaders, policy experts, financiers, and space experts from across Europe, with the objective of identifying policy priorities that can be better served by Earth Observation and guide the development of new Earth Observation programmes.
The message was clear – it takes a village, and more than ever, such a village must transcend sectors and communities. At a time when geopolitical tensions are re-shaping priorities and calling for increased purpose and intent, space and policy communities must open their respective programmatic and policy cycles to each other.
The Workshop was marked by tangible, grounded dialogue including engaging conversations about real policy priorities where Earth Observation can make a decisive difference. Across domains, such as energy, climate resilience and emergency management, diplomacy, security and defence, digitalisation, government action, agriculture and food, participants identified the pressing needs of today and the potential for Earth Observation to continue delivering its benefits and being increasingly used as a strategic lever.
While the diversity in professions and perspectives was a cornerstone of the event, participants left with a sense that a seed for integrated space and policy dialogue has truly been planted. Indeed, there was a recognition that while the impact of Earth Observation spans disciplines and borders, the ultimate mission is singular: to ensure Europe’s space assets deliver tangible benefits to policy agendas, and the wider public good.
The Workshop is just the first step, and as a direct outcome, ESPI is finalizing a Policy Vision for Earth Observation, to be released later this year. This Vision will be built upon the foundation of ESPI’s research, the insights and takeaways from the Workshop, and continued consultation with key stakeholders. We are committed to promoting this Vision across policy communities and nurturing the dialogue sparked in London.
The endeavour ahead is ambitious, not business as usual, but rather a task of a decade. And as we have learned from this first step, it truly does take a village.
