The European Space Forum – Reflections from the Biggest Edition to Date

Bringing together senior policymakers, industry leaders and experts from across the sector, the European Space Forum returned to Brussels for its biggest and most diverse edition to date.  

Held under the theme ‘Urgency and Ambition: Europe at a Crossroads’, the 2026 Forum examined how Europe can translate political intent into operational capability. As competition intensifies, technologies accelerate, and space becomes ever more central to security, sovereignty and economic growth, discussions spanned the value chain in full.

With more than 400 participants in the room, the Forum once again provided a unique meeting point for policymakers, legislators, industry leaders and experts from across the sector to exchange perspectives and engage with the diversity of Europe’s space ecosystem.

For the first time, the European Space Forum was accompanied by the specialised European Space Security and Defence Forum, offering a focused examination of the increasingly important relationship between space, security and defence. For key takeaways from that event, read more here.

Launching the 6th Edition - The Opening Morning in Focus

Drawing on perspectives from both European and global players, contributions from Lorena Boix Alonso (DG DEFIS, European Commission), Aarti Holla-Maini (UNOOSA), Jean-Luc Trullemans (ESA), and Adel Al-Saleh (GSOA and SES) helped set the tone for two days of discussion: ambitious, outward-looking, and increasingly focused on turning political intent into tangible capability. For his part, Al-Saleh identified three pillars for Europe’s future growth: global competitiveness, a supportive regulatory environment, and access to capital.

These kinds of forums are very helpful. You hear different opinions, try to reconcile them, and engage in dialogue. It is therefore very helpful to have these platforms.
Adel Al-Saleh, Vice-Chair, GSOA & CEO, SES Satellites 

The opening session, ‘Regulation, Leadership, and the EU Space Act – Delivering on Europe’s Space Ambitions', brought together Space Act Rapporteur Elena Donazzan, industry representatives and Member States. There was broad agreement that the Act should enable rather than constrain, with disagreement instead centred on the technical requirements, the role of secondary legislation, and how far obligations should be scaled according to operators and missions. On proportionality in particular, views diverged sharply.

Lorena Boix Alonso, DG DEFIS, delivers the opening keynote address at the European Space Forum 2026. 

The morning continued with a keynote from Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy at the European Commission. Reflecting on Europe’s future connectivity architecture, Virkkunen positioned both the Digital Networks Act and proposed reforms to the 2GHz mobile satellite spectrum band as instruments of greater sovereignty and autonomy.

Europe continues to lag behind, even though it is taking concrete steps to regain and reestablish its place in the space sector. The three biggest challenges facing the European space sector are the ability to act swiftly – so speed; fragmentation, with different approaches and duplicative investments across Member States; and the ability to overcome competing national interests and act with greater unity.
Aarti Holla Maini, Director, UNOOSA

The MSS proposal is about much more than spectrum – it is about Europe’s capacity to work together to deliver a sovereign solution worthy of its ambitions.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, European Commission

Under the Commission’s 2GHz proposal, one third of available spectrum would be allocated to secure governmental services provided by EU providers, with the remaining two thirds available for commercial use.

Adel Al-Saleh, SES CEO and GSOA Vice-Chair, on stage with Brunswick's Alise Askinezere. 

Investment, Financing and Market Development

In the subsequent session, themes of sovereignty and autonomy were explored through the lens of investment, with panellists considering whether Europe is investing enough to match its ambitions.

Moderated by Eurospace’s Olivier Lemaitre, the discussion featured Christophe Grudler (European Parliament), María Fernández Molinero (DG DEFIS, European Commission), and the aforementioned Jean-Luc Trullemans (ESA). With Europe’s next Multiannual Financial Framework under discussion, space sits within a €125 billion resilience window spanning the European Competitiveness Fund and Horizon Europe. Yet, with €15–20 billion currently earmarked for space, Grudler argued that the sector deserved considerably more, calling instead for a €60 billion allocation.

Similarly Pierre Limouzin of the European Investment Bank noted that just €1.4 billion of private capital was invested in space in 2025. With this comparatively modest, the challenge was explored further in Driving Growth and Ensuring Competitiveness – Europe’s Space Industry in Focus. Anas Hanan of the European Commission noted that while Cassini has helped companies reach Series A, growth and working capital remain harder to secure thereafter.

Vincent Brison of EUSPA argued that stronger public-sector anchor tenancy could help bridge this gap: government commits early and at volume, giving companies the confidence to finance their own scale-up. The aim, however, should be to build sustainable markets, not simply subsidise demand.

International Partnerships and Global Appeal 

A defining feature of Forum Global events is their international appeal. The European Space Forum was no exception, with attendees treated to perspectives from across the world and beyond Europe’s immediate policy orbit.

Contributors included Caitlin Poling from the US Department of State, Hwang Jun-Shik from the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ayman Maghrab from Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST), each bringing a distinct perspective on Europe’s place within an increasingly interconnected global space ecosystem.

Sovereignty, absolutely. We need to move forward to have our own independence.
Jaume Sanpera, CEO and Co-Founder, Sateliot

We don’t want to freeze out trusted European launch capability.
Rebecca Evernden, Director, UK Space Agency

Rebecca Evernden, Director of the UK Space Agency, and Taylor Jordan, Assistant Secretary at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), also offered perspectives from two of Europe’s closest partners. Evernden, discussing Europe’s emerging approach to launch and sovereignty, offered a useful reminder that strategic autonomy need not mean strategic isolation. 

A keynote speech delivered by EUSPA's Rodrigo Da-Costa. 

The Agenda Wider - Key Themes in Focus

While painting in broad strokes, the European Space Forum dances in detail too. Panel sessions on launch, secure connectivity and Earth observation, for example, punctuated the conference’s second day.

On launch, perhaps the most notable development was confirmation from María Fernández Molinero of the European Commission that an access to space component will form part of the European Competitiveness Fund. This is underpinned by a clear sovereignty principle: where possible, European missions should launch from European territory. Toasting some success, Lucia Linares of ESA noted that Ariane 6 has achieved the fastest ramp-up in heavy-lift launcher history, with further acceleration of Ariane, Vega and other European launchers under the European Launcher Challenge now underway.

The key benefit of conferences like this is bringing together people from government, intergovernmental organisations, and the private sector. It is too easy to operate in an echo chamber at a transnational or intergovernmental level, but it is essential to hear the perspectives of industry, private-sector operators, financiers and banks, and to work together to build a space ecosystem that is successful, resilient and profitable.
Mark Leverkus, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

With the GOVSATCOM Hub operational from January 2026 and IRIS² having just completed its opening rendezvous, discussions around secure connectivity were more mixed. Panellists acknowledged the considerable potential of both programmes, while raising genuine concerns – particularly around IRIS², where questions remain over delivery, timelines and Europe’s ability to translate an ambitious architecture into a genuinely competitive and resilient connectivity capability.

The same balance between promise and pragmatism carried into discussions on Earth observation. Europe remains a global leader in the collection and use of Earth observation data, but the conversation increasingly extends beyond capability alone: how can Europe better commercialise its assets, stimulate downstream applications and ensure that public investment translates into a thriving private ecosystem? Here, ICEYE's Joost Elstak was particularly bullish. 

Assistant Secretary Taylor Jordan delivers a keynote speech at the 2026 European Space Forum. 

Looking Ahead - The Unanswered Questions

Momentum and ambition notwithstanding, some questions remain. While Europe’s efforts are not taking place in a vacuum, chief among them is perhaps the most fundamental: does Europe have the capacity to compete globally?
The ambition is clear. The political intent is increasingly evident. The financial instruments are beginning to take shape. Yet, more hard-work work must follow. 

That perhaps captures the central tension running through the Forum. Europe is not short of ideas, institutions, or ambition. Nor is it short of companies capable of competing at the highest level. The challenge is translating these assets into sustained competitiveness, and, crucially, doing so quickly enough.

The European Space Forum will return in 2027 to revisit these questions. However, until then, the challenge for Europe is clear. 

The European Space Forum provided a valuable opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of Europe's strengths and priorities in the space domain at this critical moment. It was also a meaningful occasion to engage with leading global experts in the field.
Hwang Jun-shik, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea

For sponsorship opportunities across our space series: space@forum-global.com

To keep informed about the next edition, sign up here.

For updates on our upcoming events, sign up to our mailing list here.

Learn more about Forum Global’s wider work here.