The European Space Forum will return to Brussels in June 2024, once again bringing together key industry leaders, policymakers, and experts for 2 full days of face-to-face debate. With the release of the EU Space Law proposal expected in the first half of 2024, the conference will provide a platform for multi-stakeholder discussions around this and the work towards an EU Single Market for Space; as well as focussing more broadly on strategic pillars such as sustainability, resilience, competitiveness, economic security and on ensuring long-term autonomous access to space.
Sessions throughout the event will be discussion-based and interactive, with speakers and audience members encouraged to speak freely, challenge each other and pool ideas.
European efforts continue to unlock the boundless possibilities of space and its capacity to drive progress and improve well-being for people and communities globally. Be part of the discussions on the path ahead and on shaping a strong and sustainable European space ecosystem for the benefit of all.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
On 16 October 2020, Rodrigo da Costa took up his duties as Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), formerly the European GNSS Agency (GSA). Prior to this, he was the Galileo Services Programme Manager from March 2017.
EUSPA is an Agency of dedicated EU professionals working for a stronger, more competitive and united European Space Programme, creating synergies between satellite navigation (EGNOS & Galileo), Earth Observation (Copernicus) and secure telecommunications (GOVSATCOM). EUSPA designs and delivers user-centered services working together with the European Commission and a wide range of national, European and international stakeholders, industries and user communities. The EU Space Programme is both a resource and a springboard for the European economy, competitiveness and sustainability.
Before joining EUSPA, Rodrigo da Costa held several senior project management, business development, and institutional key account management positions in the space industry, in the areas of human space flight, exploration, launchers and R&D.
Rodrigo da Costa holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the “Instituto Superior Tecnico” in Lisbon, a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Delft, and an MBA from the EuroMBA consortium of Business Schools.
Executive Director
European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
Isabella Poldrugo is Acting Head of Unit the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), responsible for EU Space Policy. Objective of the unit is to design and ensure a coherent and overarching EU Space policy, including regulatory aspects and to foster an innovative and globally competitive EU Space ecosystem.
Isabella joined the Commission in 2019, where she worked as policy officer in the Unit dealing with space policy in the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS).
Before, she spent ten years in the European Parliament as policy advisor to Members of the European Parliament, dealing with dossiers on energy, industry and trade. She served also as policy advisor to the Italian Minister of Defence and to the Undersecretary of State for Defence.
Acting Head of Unit, Space Policy, DG DEFIS
European Commission
Eva Berneke is Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat Group, the world’s first GEO-LEO integrated satellite operator formed through the merger of Eutelsat Communications, a global leader in geostationary (GEO) satellite operations, and OneWeb, a world-class low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network.
Eva Berneke joined Eutelsat on 1st January 2022 from KMD, Denmark’s leading IT and software company, specialising in IT solutions and services for the public and private sector, and now part of the NEC Group. During her tenure she oversaw the transformation of KMD from a mainly government service provider to a modern, digital company competing in both the public and private sectors.
Prior to that Eva held several senior positions at TDC, formerly TeleDanmark, the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, notably as Head of Strategy and Head of the company’s Wholesale Business division. Eva began her career at McKinsey where she developed a specialization in the TMT sectors and where she was based for 10 years at the group’s Paris offices.
Eva sits on the Boards of international groups Lego and Vestas Wind Systems as well as France’s Ecole Polytechnique. She is a graduate of Denmark’s Technical University, where she gained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Vice Chair
Global Satellite Operator's Association (GSOA)
CEO
Eutelsat Group
Benedikta von Seherr-Thoß is Managing Director for peace, security and defense at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Her responsibilities include space security, defence and diplomacy, the strategic planning of EU’s civilian and military missions and operations, cyber defence and diplomacy, maritime security, disarmament and non-proliferation, and counterterrorism, among others. Until October 2022, she served as Security Policy Director of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (MoD), dealing inter alia with bilateral relations, NATO, EU, nuclear policy as well as coordinating the MoD’s work on a new German National Security Strategy. From 2017, she was EU Representative of the German Ministry of Defence and Head of the EU Division in the Department for Security Policy for four years. She also had the ministerial lead on Germany’s EU Council Presidency in 2020.
Prior to that, she worked as Political Advisor to Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen for two years. From 2013-15, she was the first defence civilian to participate in the National General/Admiral Staff Officer Course of the Bundeswehr.
Before that, she spent more than two years working as Senior Political Advisor and then Deputy Director to the NATO Senior Civilian Representative at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul/Afghanistan. From 2007-11 she functioned as Deputy Head of the NATO Division in the Policy Planning & Advisory Staff to the Minister of Defence, focusing on the Alliance, transatlantic issues and nuclear policy. She started her career at NATO Headquarters in 2004, where she worked as Desk Officer in the Political Affairs & Security Policy Division. Benedikta studied Modern History at the University of Oxford, from where she graduated with a Masters and a PhD.
Managing Director for Common Security and Defence Policy
European External Action Service (EEAS)
Julie Kearney is the first Chief of the Space Bureau at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Launched in April 2023, the Space Bureau plays a key role in advancing the Commission’s Space Innovation Agenda to meet the needs of the next generation Space Age. As a globally-recognized leader/lawyer/board member in the technology and telecommunications field, Julie has been working for more than 25 years with governments, industry, and the public sector around the world to promote legal and regulatory frameworks and policies that enable life-changing technologies. Prior to the FCC, she held senior roles at Loon (an Alphabet company), Twilio Inc., the Consumer Technology Association, National Public Radio, MCI, and private legal practice. She earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.
Chief, Space Bureau
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
A Danish national and mechanical engineer, Toni Tolker-Nielsen began his career with APV ANHYDRO in Copenhagen in 1983 before taking a role at CERN in Geneva.
He joined ESA in 1987 – initially working on pointing and tracking systems for laser communication systems – and in 2003 moved to what was then known as the Launchers Directorate, with responsibility for the return-to-flight programme for Ariane 5 ECA (Evolution Cryotechnique type A) after its launch failure in December 2002.
Mr Tolker-Nielsen went on to oversee significant changes to the organisation of the European launcher industry initiated in the wake of the ECA failure – changes which helped deliver the very successful Ariane 5 programme which ended in July 2023.
He was then appointed ESA Inspector General – an Executive Board position with the duty to guarantee technical and managerial excellence across ESA. Mr Tolker-Nielsen later headed Earth Observation projects and acted as Director of Earth Observation Programmes from 2021, when Josef Aschbacher took up duty as ESA Director General.
Acting Director of Space Transportation
European Space Agency (ESA)
Phil Evans became EUMETSAT’s fifth Director-General on 1 January 2021. Phil took over leadership of the organisation at an exciting and challenging time. Exciting, because the organisation will deploy the first of its next-generation geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite systems from 2022. Challenging, due to the complexity of these systems and the global coronavirus pandemic’s impact on working conditions.
Phil brings to the role the experience gained from his long career in senior management positions at the UK Met Office and a background in remote sensing and satellite instrumentation. He also has a strong commitment to collaboration with partners around the globe.
He brought to the position a deep understanding of EUMETSAT’s culture and values, having led the UK’s delegation on the organisation’s Council from 2018 to 2020.
Starting at the Met Office in 1988, Phil rose to become Chief Operating Officer from 2017 to 2020. In this role, he was responsible for the organisation’s operational forecasting, observation development and infrastructure and international relations, as well as organisation-wide operational delivery, resilience and security.
Other positions Phil held at the Met Office included Director of Government Business, Chief Advisor to Government, Head of Secretariat and Managing Director of Commercial Business. As Director Government Business, he was responsible for Met Office services to Government and industry related to climate research, weather forecasting, defence, international aid and UK warnings.
Phil started at the Met Office in scientific and technical roles related to remote sensing. This work involved satellite data retrieval, instrument specification and design.
After leaving the Met Office and before joining EUMETSAT, Phil was Director of Physics Programmes at the Institute of Physics, in 2020. There, he was a member of the Executive Board and Board of Trustees. He was responsible for education improvement and physics innovation programmes, equality, inclusion and diversity programmes for the physics community and the Enterprise Programme Office.
He has an Honours degree in Physics from Birmingham University.
Director-General
EUMETSAT
Christophe Grudler is a French Member of the European Parliament (MEP),member of the Renew Europe group.
Historian and journalist by training, his political commitment started at an early stage of his career. He is particularly involved at the local level in his hometown, Belfort, where he has been elected as a local representative several times.
Within the European Parliament, he is Vice-Coordinator of the ITRE Committee (Industry, research and energy) for the Renew Europe group. He is also a member of the Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Security and Defence (SEDE) committees. Furthermore, he is Vice President of the Sky & Space Intergroup of the European Parliament.
MEP Grudler is particularly involved on energy and industry related topics, as well as on space and defence policies. He has been appointed as rapporteur for the European Parliament on the Initiative report on Energy System Integration and recently on the future European secure connectivity. He is also shadow rapporteur for his group on the European Industrial Strategy, the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and on the European Space Programme.
Member & Rapporteur on the EU Secure Connectivity Initiative
European Parliament
Olivier has a long-standing experience and a strong network in the European space policy sector, at the crossroads of the private and the public sector.
He has been part of the Belgian delegation to the ESA Council and also advising the Belgian Permanent Representation on space matters, under the authority of E. Beka, High representative of Belgium for space policy. Olivier then moved to Eurospace, as Head of the Brussels Office until 2014, when he has been hired by Thales Alenia Space as director for EU affairs.
Secretary General
Eurospace
In 2016, Alexander founded the company ENPULSION, which quickly established itself as an industry standard in the field of electric propulsion systems for SmallSats. He started his career in the space business with Beyond Gravity, formerly known as RUAG Space, working in Thermal Hardware and later in Mechanical Engineering on projects like Sentinel or Bepi Colombo. He then joined the Austrian Institute of Technology and became the Team Leader for Electric Propulsion Systems. In 2013, he became Department Head shortly after it was moved to FOTEC, the research subsidiary of the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences and doubled its size. His personal expertise covers hydrogen-based energy systems, as well as electric propulsion technologies. After graduating from the Technical University of Vienna with a Dpl.Ing. (MSc) in Physics, he started a PhD programme at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), then followed his supervisor to the Technical University of Dresden to complete the programme.
CEO & Founder
Enpulsion
Dr Andrew Williams is responsible for external relations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) – an intergovernmental organisation of 16 Member States that constructs and operates world-leading astronomical facilities and fosters international cooperation in science. Dr Williams supports strategic relationships with current and future Member States, the EU, UN COPUOS, and international organisations such as ESA and CERN. Additionally, Dr Williams is co-lead of the Policy Hub of the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Skies from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS), where he works to raise awareness of dark and quiet skies with space policymakers and coordinate policy studies and advocacy with the global astronomy community.
External Relations Officer, Executive Office of the Director General
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Chiara Manfletti is the CEO at Neuraspace and the Professor of Space Propulsion and Mobility at the Technical University of Munich. At the early stage of her career, she worked for the German Aerospace Center, DLR, as a research engineer in the field of liquid rocket propulsion and later joined the European Space Agency (ESA) where she was the Head of Policy and Programmes Coordination department Programme and Advisor to the Director General at the agency’s headquarters in Paris.
Chiara was nominated as the first President of the then-founded Portuguese national space agency, Portugal Space, and within one-and-half years set up the space agency from scratch as a modern space agency and established a new space implementation strategy for Portugal working with partners within and outside of the country.
She is bestowed with the title of the “Mother of the Space Safety and Security Programmatic Pillar of ESA” and the “Creator of EuRoC”. Chiara has a Doctorate (Dr. -Ing) degree in Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, a Master’s Degree in Space Studies (MSS) from International Space University (ISU), Strasbourg, France and holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London, UK. She also holds a master’s in history from the UK Open University (2013).
Chiara Manfletti has dual Italian and German nationality and loves hiking high mountains, photography, beekeeping, ornithology and constructing IoT devices. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
CEO
Neuraspace
Enrique Fraga holds a degree in Mathematical Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and has completed a Business Management program at IESE Business School.
He began his professional career in 1997 at the Unión Fenosa group, where he performed software development work and process consulting in its Cash Management area. During 2001 and 2002 he worked in the telecommunications industry, performing analytical and software architecture work on projects for the companies Amena and Madritel.
He joined GMV in 2002, initially working as a project engineer in the control centers area, then later as a project manager. In 2006, he was appointed as head of the Eutelsat division within the control centers unit, and two years later the entire control centers area for commercial satellite operators became part of the division he supervised. This is an area where GMV has become the world’s leading provider of ground control systems for commercial telecommunications satellite operators.
In 2011, he was appointed as manager of GMV’s control centers and satellite mission planning unit, and in 2022 he was appointed as general manager of its new Earth Observation, Exploration, Science, Space Security, Telecommunications and Space Transport Systems sector, reporting directly to the group’s general manager. In this position, he leads a team of more than 900 engineers, who work at all of GMV’s international subsidiaries where space-related activities are performed.
General Manager
for Space Systems
GMV
Hamza Hameed is a Pakistani lawyer who works as a Senior Practice Manager for Access Partnership in Singapore. He is a member of the ITU Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board and served as the Chair of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) from 2022-2024. He supports governments and the private sector with policy, regulatory, and compliance-related matters in the space, satellite, and telecommunications industries. Prior to this, Hamza worked as part of the Secretariat of UNIDROIT in Rome. He led the effort towards establishing an international system of secured transactions law for the space sector, as well as advising governments on issues related to blockchain law and crypto law.
Hamza holds an LLM from the International Institute for Air and Space Law at Leiden University. He teaches spacecraft financing at various universities and is a member of the International Institute for Space Law (IISL).
Senior Manager Practice, Space & Policy
Access Partnership
Hermann Ludwig Moeller is the Director of European Space Policy Institute since September 2022. Prior to joining ESPI, he held leading positions at ESA in the creation of EU Copernicus and in the preparation of the EU Secure Connectivity initiative as Head of Telecommunications Strategy, Programme and Transformation Office and as Head of Copernicus Space Segment Office. In these functions, Mr. Moeller has been operating with high level leadership in a complex multi-stakeholder policy environment in public-private partnerships with industry, at EU level, with EUMETSAT and with national space agencies and delegations. Prior to that he held the ESA Douglas Marsh Fellow at NASA and contributed to the creation of the European Internet backbone. He acquired early professional experience at the European Patent Office and with Siemens.
Director
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Isabelle Mauro is Director General of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) that represents the interests of 29 global and regional satellite operators. She reports directly to their Chief Executives.
Under Isabelle’s leadership, GSOA and its member CEOs lead the effort to showcase the benefits of satellite communications for a more inclusive and secure society – vital to bridging the world’s digital divide, achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the 5G ecosystem.
Isabelle has 25 years experience in the Telecoms and Technology sector, starting at the GSMA, where she was responsible for government and international Affairs. In 2015 she moved to New York to join the World Economic Forum as Head of Information, Communications and Technology Industries, managing the portfolio for 60+ Tech companies globally and leading initiatives on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.
Isabelle is passionate about inclusion and sustainability. She is Chair of the High-Level Advisory Board of the DigitalGoesGreen Foundation. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Women in Tech and is a member of the UNESCO Advisory Group for the Declaration on Connectivity for Education.
Isabelle holds an MSc in European Politics and Policy from the London School of Economics. She is fluent in French, English, Italian and Spanish.
Director General
Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA)
Jeremy Wilks reports on science and technology for Euronews.
Jeremy covers everything from climate change and the environment, to the energy transition and healthcare innovation. He presents the award-winning Climate Now series and hosts the Ocean Calls podcast.
He moderates at major events such as COP27, European Space Conference, and WebSummit. He has interviewed hundreds of leading scientists, and well-known figures such as Bill Gates, Ursula von der Leyen and Thomas Pesquet.
Jeremy joined Euronews in September 2001, acting first as news reporter and later as business editor.
Prior to Euronews, Jeremy worked for several media outlets in the United Kingdom, including ITN, Essex Radio, and Millennium Radio.
Jeremy holds a B.A. in History and Literature and an M.A. in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick, UK. Jeremy is a native English speaker with fluent French.
Science Reporter
Euronews
Jordi Casanova Tormo has more than ten years experience in competition and regulatory economics. He has worked in private practice and government organisations at national and European level. Jordi’s areas of expertise span from industrial organisation, regulatory economics, corporate finance, statistical analysis and international relations. He has experience in a wide range of sectors, including technology, telecommunications and media, airports and aviation, energy, financial and retail sectors.
Head EUPP - Ads,
Telecom & Space
Amazon
Dr Kamila Kloc joined the European Commission in December 2004. In 2019, she held a position of a Head of Unit Markets in Directorate B Electronic Communications Networks and Services of Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology.
Previously, she served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for Vice President Ansip responsible for Digital Single Market (DSM). Prior to joining the Cabinet, she worked at Directorate General for Energy, coordinating exemptions from regulatory access rules for gas pipelines.
During the Polish Presidency in 2011 she was seconded by the Commission to the President’s office of the Polish Energy Regulatory Authority. Earlier, she worked for 5 years at the Directorate General for Competition dealing with merger and antitrust cases. Prior to joining the Commission, she was emloyed at the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection in Poland as Adviser to the President.
Kamila Kloc started her professional career in academia and taught at Warsaw School of Economics as Assistant Professor. She has written her PhD on the role of competition policy in the public utilities sector with a special emphasis on telecommunications. She was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California in Berkeley and a Chevening fellow at Oxford University.
Director, Digital Decade & Connectivity, DG CONNECT
European Commission
Koen Willems is the Vice President European Union Programs and Government Relations at ST Engineering iDirect, where he defines and develops the global strategy for the government and defense market.
Before joining ST Engineering iDirect in 2008, he was Product Marketing Manager for Europe at the electronics giant TOSHIBA.
Willems has more than 25 years’ experience working in the technology industry. His expertise in the government and defense satellite market has grown through his involvement in different large (EU) programs, as well as frequent interactions with the end-user community and a range of topic-related degrees such as the ‘High Studies in Security and Defence’ degree at the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence; the ‘European Session for Armament Officials’ degree at the French National Institute of Higher Defense; and the ‘European Advanced Strategy Course on Security and Defense’ degree at the Egmont Institute, IHEDN and BAKS.
Willems has a master’s in English and Scandinavian Languages from Ghent University and a master’s in Marketing Strategy and Management from Vlekho Business School.
Vice President, EU Programs & Government Relations
ST Engineering iDirect (Europe)
Kristina Nikolaus is the CEO and Co-Founder of OKAPI:Orbits, with work experience within Daimler AG and Siemens AG, passionate about business model design, strategic marketing & sales and all kind of data analysis.
Kristina was selected as one of FORBES’ 30 under 30 leading professionals and is one of the 50 most influential women in Business by Handelsblatt.
CEO and Co-Founder
OKAPI:Orbits
Lea advises firms on strategy, policy, and regulatory affairs in the space, spectrum, and defence ecosystems. She is also Vice Chair for the Security, Defence and Space Committee at AmCham EU. She founded and led the APCO Worldwide Space and Defence Practice, and prior was a space consultant at PwC, working on projects for EU institutions, ESA, and private aerospace and defence companies. Lea has experience in strategic advisory, management consulting, and market analyses, including a socio-economic impact assessment of European launchers and internal strategy on the European defence industry and space militarisation. She holds degrees from the University of Kent and Sciences Po Paris, speaks multiple languages, and has lived in nine countries.
Manager, New Business, Space and Spectrum
Access Partnership
Loïs Miraux is a Space Engineering / General Engineering dual-degree graduate that converted to Environmental Science.
In addition to scientific space missions expanding our knowledge of the Universe, the insights from Earth observation satellites are critical to better understanding, mitigating, and adapting to global environmental change. The long-term sustainability of space activities is therefore of great importance and must be guaranteed.
However, the space industry is increasingly contributing to fueling environmental crises:
– Through its own impacts (that are growing exponentially).
– Through some of its applications (that are growing exponentially).
– By diffusing imaginaries of the future that are incompatible with our current ecological predicament.
As an independent researcher, Loïs Miraux has addressed different angles of the topic, by evaluating the environmental impacts of present and future space activities, questioning the role of space applications in addressing environmental issues, exploring their vulnerabilities to global change and systemic risks, and challenging common narratives of the future of humanity in space. In the process, he has developed expertise in Life Cycle Assessment & Eco-design of space systems, and participated in these types of analyses at CNES and in the industry.
Space Sustainability Expert
Luciana Camargos is the GSMA’s Head of Spectrum. She directs the GSMA’s range of advocacy issues on public policy relating to spectrum with national governments and multilateral organisations.
Luciana’s career began with Brazilian regulator Anatel where she worked as part of the board advisory team. She joined the GSMA in 2012, where she has continued to be active in shaping the future of mobile services at international fora such as the ITU, CITEL and other multilateral organisations.
She has chaired regulatory groups charged with developing communications regulation at the ITU and in regional organisations. She is an active supporter of the role of women in technology and is a former chair of the ITU’s Network of Women.
Luciana earned an MBA in telecommunications from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, and a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Brasilia.
Head of Spectrum
GSMA
Marjolijn van Deelen assumed the position of EU Special Envoy for Space in February 2024 following 3,5 years of executing the function of EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
Her primary mission is to represent the EU in multilateral fora dedicated to space with a focus on promoting responsible behaviour in space. To that end, she engages with third States through dialogue and consultations. The Special Envoy also has operational responsibilities as to the response to possible threats to or through the systems and services deriving from the EU Space Programme as well as concerning the EU Satellite Centre. She cooperates with European Commission services and contributes to the development of the security aspects of the EU Space Programme as well as all other related matters.
Marjolijn van Deelen is a career diplomat of the Netherlands. Before joining the EU External Action Service (EEAS), she headed the Non-proliferation, Disarmament and Nuclear Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands with the title of Ambassador. She held several posts abroad (to the international organisations in Vienna, at the Dutch Embassies in Bucharest and San Jose), as well as positions in The Hague (Europe Division, Middle East Division, UN Division, Development Assistance).
Ms. Van Deelen holds a Masters in Geophysics from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, as well as a BA in Economics from the American University in Washington DC.
EU Special Envoy for Space / Head of Division for Space
European External Action Service (EEAS)
Mr Mauro Facchini is Head of the Unit for Earth Observation in the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS).
Mauro Facchini is Italian and has an engineering background with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Before joining the European Commission he has worked in Italy, UK and Switzerland, mostly in the academic and research environment.
He joined the European Commission in 2002, initially as supervisor of research projects. Then he has been involved in Space aspects and participated to the definition of the European Space Policy from its early days in concluding agreements with ESA and in drafting and including article 189 (EU Space Competence) in the Lisbon Treaty.
He has been Head of the Space Research Unit for the EU financing of space activities and then Head for the development and implementation of the European Earth observation programme initially known as GMES and later Copernicus. He is currently the Head of Unit in charge for Earth Observation at the European Commission.
Head of Unit, Earth Observation, DG DEFIS
European Commission
Nicolaus Hanowski holds a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences. He started as a researcher in the US and then transferred to Mission Operations at the German Space Operations Centre. In 2009 he joined ESA and became responsible for the development of Science Ground Segments for missions, such Rosetta, Gaia, JWST, Solar Orbiter and Euclid in the Science Directorate. Since 2014 he is responsible for the Operations and Ground Segments of the ESA Earth Observation Missions and the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and the corresponding data management aspects at ESA. He is coordinating the Copernicus Long Term Scenario of Copernicus and the Destination Earth activities within ESA.
Head of Mission Management & Ground Segments Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes
European Space Agency (ESA)
Pascale Ultré-Guérard has been appointed Deputy Director for Programs at the Strategy Directorate of CNES in January 2022. She manages 50 experts working in 5 departments covering all domains of activity at CNES: access to space, Earth observation and sciences, universe science and exploration, safety and defence, telecommunication, navigation, facilities plus 2 transverse departments for programming and science coordination.
Before that she spent more than one year at the Ministry of higher education, research and innovation as Head of Space and Defence Department.
From 2017 to 2020, she was deputy Director for Programming, International affairs and Quality.
Before that, she spent 11 years as Head of Earth Observation Program and team at the Strategy and Programs Directorate of CNES and was CEOS (Committee of Earth Observation Satellites) SIT (Strategic Implementation Team) chair from 2014 to 2015.
She joined Cnes in 1999 as Program manager in Solid Earth Sciences.
Pascale Ultré-Guérard has a PhD in geomagnetic field modeling delivered by IPGP (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris).
Strategy Deputy Director
CNES
Dr. Rolf Kozlowski is the CEO of DLR GfR mbH, a leading company specializing in satellite navigation and operating the Galileo Control Center in Oberpfaffenhofen on behalf of the European Commission.
Since 2020, Dr. Rolf Kozlowski has significantly enriched DLR GfR mbH with his dedication and extensive experience in the aerospace industry, highly contributing to the success story of the company.
Managing Director
DLR GfR
Sara Dalledonne is a Research Fellow with the Lead on Regulatory Affairs at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), and she is the ESPI representative in Brussels. She is the Space Law expert reference at the University of Bologna in Italy, and a Member of the Support Committee for the Aviation & Space Journal (ASJ). She is also the Lead for Networking & Events at Women in Aerospace Europe (WIA-E) in Austria. Prior to joining ESPI, she worked as Research Assistant at the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University. She holds an L.L.M. in Air and Space Law from the McGill University, an L.L.M. in International Trade Law from ITCILO (University of Turin) and a 5-year Law degree from the University of Bologna. She also completed an ITU Training Course in Satellite Coordination Procedures and Filings.
Research Fellow and Lead on Regulatory Affairs
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Maj. Gen. Cont was appointed Capability, Armament and Planning Director at the European Defence Agency on 1st April 2022. Born in Trento – Italy, on 3 Sept. 1963, he was commissioned in Sept. 1984 after graduating from the Italian Air Force Academy. His operational assignments include both Italy and the U.S., where he led different Commands in Fighter and Fighter Training Squadrons. He was appointed as the 61st FTW’S Commander and Lecce AFB Commander from 2006 to 2008. Maj. Gen. CONT is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours; a distinguished graduate of pilot training, and he has served as an instructor pilot and check pilot at the Italian Weapon Instructor School.
Prior to his current assignment and since August 2018, he served as Defense and Defense Cooperation Attaché in Washington (D.C.) As the highest-ranking representative of the Italian Defense accredited to the United States, Mexico, and Canada, his primary duties were to promote bilateral military relations and initiatives and enhance cooperation in research and development of security and defense programs. He was also responsible for overseeing the procurement process in the United States and supporting joint venture defense partnerships.
Between 2013 and 2018, he served as Head of the Political Military Office in the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense. As a MoD advisor, he supported the decision making process, on a political level, for defense industrial policy, international relations and long-term defense strategic evolution. Between 2000 and 2011, he served in the Defense General Staff as the Chief of the Strategic Planning and Capability Development Office and later as the Chief of the Strategic Affairs Office. His main duties included the development and supervision of the national “Long Term Capabilities Planning,” the national contribution to NATO and EU’s Force and Capabilities Planning, the implementation of the National Security and Defense Policy, and formulating strategic assessments and directives in crisis management. From 2012 to 2013, he was Deputy Chief o f t h e Airspace Programs Division of the Italian Air Force Staff.
Gen. CONT holds “Aeronautical Sciences” and “Political and Military Sciences” Degrees from Federico II University in Naples, and Midwestern State University (USA). He has a Masters in “International and Military’s Strategic Studies (Rome), “Public Management” (MSU-USA) and “National Security Strategy” (National Defense University-USA). He achieved the title of “doctor” in “International and Diplomatic Sciences” from the University of Trieste.
In addition to the required pilot and instructor’s professional training and education, Maj. Gen. CONT has attended several post- graduate courses. These courses include the “Total Quality Program Leader,” the “Civ-Mil Cooperation Course,” and the “Complex Organizations Reengineering Course.” He also specialized in “Defense Resources Management” (Naval Post Graduate School – Monterrey) and in Middle East Studies at the “Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies” (Washington).
From 2015 to 2018 he taught “military politics and strategy” at the CASD and the LUISS university in Rome. He is the author of several publications related to Geopolitics, Geostrategy and Strategic Planning. His latest publication is “Gé-Politiké,” a manual for geopolitical scholars.
He is married to Laura Fabrizi and has a daughter named Giulia Diane.
Director, Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP)
European Defence Agency (EDA)
Yohann Bénard is Amazon’s Public Policy Director EU, digital.
He started his career in blue chip French governmental bodies, serving as judge with the Council of State, then advisor to the Prime Minister and deputy chief of staff to Economy & Finance Minister Christine Lagarde. Before joining Amazon, Yohann held senior business and corporate roles in the telecom industry (Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia).
Public Policy Director,
EU Digital & France
Amazon
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
Note: All timings are in Central European Summer Time (CEST).
Hermann Ludwig Moeller is the Director of European Space Policy Institute since September 2022. Prior to joining ESPI, he held leading positions at ESA in the creation of EU Copernicus and in the preparation of the EU Secure Connectivity initiative as Head of Telecommunications Strategy, Programme and Transformation Office and as Head of Copernicus Space Segment Office. In these functions, Mr. Moeller has been operating with high level leadership in a complex multi-stakeholder policy environment in public-private partnerships with industry, at EU level, with EUMETSAT and with national space agencies and delegations. Prior to that he held the ESA Douglas Marsh Fellow at NASA and contributed to the creation of the European Internet backbone. He acquired early professional experience at the European Patent Office and with Siemens.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
On 16 October 2020, Rodrigo da Costa took up his duties as Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), formerly the European GNSS Agency (GSA). Prior to this, he was the Galileo Services Programme Manager from March 2017.
EUSPA is an Agency of dedicated EU professionals working for a stronger, more competitive and united European Space Programme, creating synergies between satellite navigation (EGNOS & Galileo), Earth Observation (Copernicus) and secure telecommunications (GOVSATCOM). EUSPA designs and delivers user-centered services working together with the European Commission and a wide range of national, European and international stakeholders, industries and user communities. The EU Space Programme is both a resource and a springboard for the European economy, competitiveness and sustainability.
Before joining EUSPA, Rodrigo da Costa held several senior project management, business development, and institutional key account management positions in the space industry, in the areas of human space flight, exploration, launchers and R&D.
Rodrigo da Costa holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the “Instituto Superior Tecnico” in Lisbon, a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Delft, and an MBA from the EuroMBA consortium of Business Schools.
Eva Berneke is Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat Group, the world’s first GEO-LEO integrated satellite operator formed through the merger of Eutelsat Communications, a global leader in geostationary (GEO) satellite operations, and OneWeb, a world-class low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network.
Eva Berneke joined Eutelsat on 1st January 2022 from KMD, Denmark’s leading IT and software company, specialising in IT solutions and services for the public and private sector, and now part of the NEC Group. During her tenure she oversaw the transformation of KMD from a mainly government service provider to a modern, digital company competing in both the public and private sectors.
Prior to that Eva held several senior positions at TDC, formerly TeleDanmark, the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, notably as Head of Strategy and Head of the company’s Wholesale Business division. Eva began her career at McKinsey where she developed a specialization in the TMT sectors and where she was based for 10 years at the group’s Paris offices.
Eva sits on the Boards of international groups Lego and Vestas Wind Systems as well as France’s Ecole Polytechnique. She is a graduate of Denmark’s Technical University, where she gained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Hermann Ludwig Moeller is the Director of European Space Policy Institute since September 2022. Prior to joining ESPI, he held leading positions at ESA in the creation of EU Copernicus and in the preparation of the EU Secure Connectivity initiative as Head of Telecommunications Strategy, Programme and Transformation Office and as Head of Copernicus Space Segment Office. In these functions, Mr. Moeller has been operating with high level leadership in a complex multi-stakeholder policy environment in public-private partnerships with industry, at EU level, with EUMETSAT and with national space agencies and delegations. Prior to that he held the ESA Douglas Marsh Fellow at NASA and contributed to the creation of the European Internet backbone. He acquired early professional experience at the European Patent Office and with Siemens.
The space economy is evolving like never before. An unprecedented amount of public and private investment is going into new constellations leading to a renewed space race, and, causing concern for governments the world over about the sustainability of space for future generations. The boom in satellites being launched into space was arguably foreseeable a decade ago. This led to the adoption of the Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines by the UN in 2019. Yet the world remains far from agreeing on a binding set of norms and regulations that are vitally needed if the risks resulting from congestion in space are truly to be mitigated. Voluntary initiatives such as Charters and Sustainability Ratings continue to emerge but risk falling short of making a tangible difference. The European Union however is pioneering an approach that could put Europe at the forefront of binding regulation. The EU Space Law (EUSL) is due to emerge in 2024, providing potentially binding measures (rules) and non-binding measures (labels) for the development of sustainable activities in space.
Eva Berneke is Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat Group, the world’s first GEO-LEO integrated satellite operator formed through the merger of Eutelsat Communications, a global leader in geostationary (GEO) satellite operations, and OneWeb, a world-class low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network.
Eva Berneke joined Eutelsat on 1st January 2022 from KMD, Denmark’s leading IT and software company, specialising in IT solutions and services for the public and private sector, and now part of the NEC Group. During her tenure she oversaw the transformation of KMD from a mainly government service provider to a modern, digital company competing in both the public and private sectors.
Prior to that Eva held several senior positions at TDC, formerly TeleDanmark, the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, notably as Head of Strategy and Head of the company’s Wholesale Business division. Eva began her career at McKinsey where she developed a specialization in the TMT sectors and where she was based for 10 years at the group’s Paris offices.
Eva sits on the Boards of international groups Lego and Vestas Wind Systems as well as France’s Ecole Polytechnique. She is a graduate of Denmark’s Technical University, where she gained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Chiara Manfletti is the CEO at Neuraspace and the Professor of Space Propulsion and Mobility at the Technical University of Munich. At the early stage of her career, she worked for the German Aerospace Center, DLR, as a research engineer in the field of liquid rocket propulsion and later joined the European Space Agency (ESA) where she was the Head of Policy and Programmes Coordination department Programme and Advisor to the Director General at the agency’s headquarters in Paris.
Chiara was nominated as the first President of the then-founded Portuguese national space agency, Portugal Space, and within one-and-half years set up the space agency from scratch as a modern space agency and established a new space implementation strategy for Portugal working with partners within and outside of the country.
She is bestowed with the title of the “Mother of the Space Safety and Security Programmatic Pillar of ESA” and the “Creator of EuRoC”. Chiara has a Doctorate (Dr. -Ing) degree in Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, a Master’s Degree in Space Studies (MSS) from International Space University (ISU), Strasbourg, France and holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London, UK. She also holds a master’s in history from the UK Open University (2013).
Chiara Manfletti has dual Italian and German nationality and loves hiking high mountains, photography, beekeeping, ornithology and constructing IoT devices.
Hamza Hameed is a Pakistani lawyer who works as a Senior Practice Manager for Access Partnership in Singapore. He is a member of the ITU Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board and served as the Chair of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) from 2022-2024. He supports governments and the private sector with policy, regulatory, and compliance-related matters in the space, satellite, and telecommunications industries. Prior to this, Hamza worked as part of the Secretariat of UNIDROIT in Rome. He led the effort towards establishing an international system of secured transactions law for the space sector, as well as advising governments on issues related to blockchain law and crypto law.
Hamza holds an LLM from the International Institute for Air and Space Law at Leiden University. He teaches spacecraft financing at various universities and is a member of the International Institute for Space Law (IISL).
Jordi Casanova Tormo has more than ten years experience in competition and regulatory economics. He has worked in private practice and government organisations at national and European level. Jordi’s areas of expertise span from industrial organisation, regulatory economics, corporate finance, statistical analysis and international relations. He has experience in a wide range of sectors, including technology, telecommunications and media, airports and aviation, energy, financial and retail sectors.
Sara Dalledonne is a Research Fellow with the Lead on Regulatory Affairs at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), and she is the ESPI representative in Brussels. She is the Space Law expert reference at the University of Bologna in Italy, and a Member of the Support Committee for the Aviation & Space Journal (ASJ). She is also the Lead for Networking & Events at Women in Aerospace Europe (WIA-E) in Austria. Prior to joining ESPI, she worked as Research Assistant at the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University. She holds an L.L.M. in Air and Space Law from the McGill University, an L.L.M. in International Trade Law from ITCILO (University of Turin) and a 5-year Law degree from the University of Bologna. She also completed an ITU Training Course in Satellite Coordination Procedures and Filings.
Autonomous access to space is a prerequisite for European strategic autonomy and an indispensable element in the European space ecosystem, without which there is no autonomous space policy. The retirement of Ariane 5 in July 2023 coupled with delays to Ariane 6 and Vega-C temporarily left Europe without this key independent access to space. Europe has since navigated these hurdles to regain its autonomous launch capabilities, but in the interim period, there was a need to turn towards non-European launch service providers. This session will look at lessons learnt from this situation and from current and past launcher programmes, and at measures that are put in place to ensure long term and permanent autonomous access to space for Europe going forward. It will look at how policy is evolving and at the important role that a more competitive launcher ecosystem and the introduction of new space players can play as part of this solution.
A Danish national and mechanical engineer, Toni Tolker-Nielsen began his career with APV ANHYDRO in Copenhagen in 1983 before taking a role at CERN in Geneva.
He joined ESA in 1987 – initially working on pointing and tracking systems for laser communication systems – and in 2003 moved to what was then known as the Launchers Directorate, with responsibility for the return-to-flight programme for Ariane 5 ECA (Evolution Cryotechnique type A) after its launch failure in December 2002.
Mr Tolker-Nielsen went on to oversee significant changes to the organisation of the European launcher industry initiated in the wake of the ECA failure – changes which helped deliver the very successful Ariane 5 programme which ended in July 2023.
He was then appointed ESA Inspector General – an Executive Board position with the duty to guarantee technical and managerial excellence across ESA. Mr Tolker-Nielsen later headed Earth Observation projects and acted as Director of Earth Observation Programmes from 2021, when Josef Aschbacher took up duty as ESA Director General.
Isabella Poldrugo is Acting Head of Unit the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), responsible for EU Space Policy. Objective of the unit is to design and ensure a coherent and overarching EU Space policy, including regulatory aspects and to foster an innovative and globally competitive EU Space ecosystem.
Isabella joined the Commission in 2019, where she worked as policy officer in the Unit dealing with space policy in the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS).
Before, she spent ten years in the European Parliament as policy advisor to Members of the European Parliament, dealing with dossiers on energy, industry and trade. She served also as policy advisor to the Italian Minister of Defence and to the Undersecretary of State for Defence.
Lea advises firms on strategy, policy, and regulatory affairs in the space, spectrum, and defence ecosystems. She is also Vice Chair for the Security, Defence and Space Committee at AmCham EU. She founded and led the APCO Worldwide Space and Defence Practice, and prior was a space consultant at PwC, working on projects for EU institutions, ESA, and private aerospace and defence companies. Lea has experience in strategic advisory, management consulting, and market analyses, including a socio-economic impact assessment of European launchers and internal strategy on the European defence industry and space militarisation. She holds degrees from the University of Kent and Sciences Po Paris, speaks multiple languages, and has lived in nine countries.
The EU finds itself at a crucial junction concerning its leadership in the space domain. Over the past years, and against a background of intensifying geopolitical tensions, the European Union dependency on space-based technologies, components and advanced materials has been-increasing, feeding a profound reflection on our global economy, national security, and everyday lives. This session will look at the actions that need to be taken to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of the European space industry. It will explore the importance of fostering a culture of innovation, resilience and collaboration among European space stakeholders, ensuring a steady flow of investment into cutting-edge technologies, and streamlining regulatory processes to accelerate the development and deployment of new space capabilities. As we navigate the complexities of an emerging space race, the European space industry stands at a crossroads. How can we ensure that we take the right path and ensure a secure, sustainable and resiliant European Space Supply Chain that continues to support our economic prosperity, delivering societal well-being and global leadership?
In 2016, Alexander founded the company ENPULSION, which quickly established itself as an industry standard in the field of electric propulsion systems for SmallSats. He started his career in the space business with Beyond Gravity, formerly known as RUAG Space, working in Thermal Hardware and later in Mechanical Engineering on projects like Sentinel or Bepi Colombo. He then joined the Austrian Institute of Technology and became the Team Leader for Electric Propulsion Systems. In 2013, he became Department Head shortly after it was moved to FOTEC, the research subsidiary of the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences and doubled its size. His personal expertise covers hydrogen-based energy systems, as well as electric propulsion technologies. After graduating from the Technical University of Vienna with a Dpl.Ing. (MSc) in Physics, he started a PhD programme at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), then followed his supervisor to the Technical University of Dresden to complete the programme.
Olivier has a long-standing experience and a strong network in the European space policy sector, at the crossroads of the private and the public sector.
He has been part of the Belgian delegation to the ESA Council and also advising the Belgian Permanent Representation on space matters, under the authority of E. Beka, High representative of Belgium for space policy. Olivier then moved to Eurospace, as Head of the Brussels Office until 2014, when he has been hired by Thales Alenia Space as director for EU affairs.
Isabelle Mauro is Director General of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) that represents the interests of 29 global and regional satellite operators. She reports directly to their Chief Executives.
Under Isabelle’s leadership, GSOA and its member CEOs lead the effort to showcase the benefits of satellite communications for a more inclusive and secure society – vital to bridging the world’s digital divide, achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the 5G ecosystem.
Isabelle has 25 years experience in the Telecoms and Technology sector, starting at the GSMA, where she was responsible for government and international Affairs. In 2015 she moved to New York to join the World Economic Forum as Head of Information, Communications and Technology Industries, managing the portfolio for 60+ Tech companies globally and leading initiatives on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.
Isabelle is passionate about inclusion and sustainability. She is Chair of the High-Level Advisory Board of the DigitalGoesGreen Foundation. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Women in Tech and is a member of the UNESCO Advisory Group for the Declaration on Connectivity for Education.
Isabelle holds an MSc in European Politics and Policy from the London School of Economics. She is fluent in French, English, Italian and Spanish.
Phil Evans became EUMETSAT’s fifth Director-General on 1 January 2021. Phil took over leadership of the organisation at an exciting and challenging time. Exciting, because the organisation will deploy the first of its next-generation geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite systems from 2022. Challenging, due to the complexity of these systems and the global coronavirus pandemic’s impact on working conditions.
Phil brings to the role the experience gained from his long career in senior management positions at the UK Met Office and a background in remote sensing and satellite instrumentation. He also has a strong commitment to collaboration with partners around the globe.
He brought to the position a deep understanding of EUMETSAT’s culture and values, having led the UK’s delegation on the organisation’s Council from 2018 to 2020.
Starting at the Met Office in 1988, Phil rose to become Chief Operating Officer from 2017 to 2020. In this role, he was responsible for the organisation’s operational forecasting, observation development and infrastructure and international relations, as well as organisation-wide operational delivery, resilience and security.
Other positions Phil held at the Met Office included Director of Government Business, Chief Advisor to Government, Head of Secretariat and Managing Director of Commercial Business. As Director Government Business, he was responsible for Met Office services to Government and industry related to climate research, weather forecasting, defence, international aid and UK warnings.
Phil started at the Met Office in scientific and technical roles related to remote sensing. This work involved satellite data retrieval, instrument specification and design.
After leaving the Met Office and before joining EUMETSAT, Phil was Director of Physics Programmes at the Institute of Physics, in 2020. There, he was a member of the Executive Board and Board of Trustees. He was responsible for education improvement and physics innovation programmes, equality, inclusion and diversity programmes for the physics community and the Enterprise Programme Office.
He has an Honours degree in Physics from Birmingham University.
Space data provides a unique viewpoint to understand the Earth and the accelerating change we’re experiencing in a variety of different areas – climate, biodiversity, infrastructure, land use and more. Fueling a suite of Earth system modelling tools and services, space data is a central part of how we monitor and protect our environments, as well as how we increase resilience in areas such as disaster management, risk prevention, civil protection. These are all areas in which Europe has been at the forefront of through its Copernicus programme. One area in which the full potential of space data is arguably still to be realised however is the development of the private market. Whilst some examples are being seen of space data contributing to digitalisation across vertical sectors such as automotive, agriculture and maritime, the explosion of use cases and vast commercialisation of space data to deliver economic growth that was hoped has arguably not yet been delivered. This session will explore the long term future of space data and what needs to be done to harness the huge value that it offers across both the public and private sectors. It will look at the impact that it has already made in helping to tackle climate change and increase resilience, and at the work that still remains to be done in order to push growth in the private market for space data and more broadly to maximise the vast economic and societal potential that exists.
Pascale Ultré-Guérard has been appointed Deputy Director for Programs at the Strategy Directorate of CNES in January 2022. She manages 50 experts working in 5 departments covering all domains of activity at CNES: access to space, Earth observation and sciences, universe science and exploration, safety and defence, telecommunication, navigation, facilities plus 2 transverse departments for programming and science coordination.
Before that she spent more than one year at the Ministry of higher education, research and innovation as Head of Space and Defence Department.
From 2017 to 2020, she was deputy Director for Programming, International affairs and Quality.
Before that, she spent 11 years as Head of Earth Observation Program and team at the Strategy and Programs Directorate of CNES and was CEOS (Committee of Earth Observation Satellites) SIT (Strategic Implementation Team) chair from 2014 to 2015.
She joined Cnes in 1999 as Program manager in Solid Earth Sciences.
Pascale Ultré-Guérard has a PhD in geomagnetic field modeling delivered by IPGP (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris).
Nicolaus Hanowski holds a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences. He started as a researcher in the US and then transferred to Mission Operations at the German Space Operations Centre. In 2009 he joined ESA and became responsible for the development of Science Ground Segments for missions, such Rosetta, Gaia, JWST, Solar Orbiter and Euclid in the Science Directorate. Since 2014 he is responsible for the Operations and Ground Segments of the ESA Earth Observation Missions and the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and the corresponding data management aspects at ESA. He is coordinating the Copernicus Long Term Scenario of Copernicus and the Destination Earth activities within ESA.
Mr Mauro Facchini is Head of the Unit for Earth Observation in the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS).
Mauro Facchini is Italian and has an engineering background with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Before joining the European Commission he has worked in Italy, UK and Switzerland, mostly in the academic and research environment.
He joined the European Commission in 2002, initially as supervisor of research projects. Then he has been involved in Space aspects and participated to the definition of the European Space Policy from its early days in concluding agreements with ESA and in drafting and including article 189 (EU Space Competence) in the Lisbon Treaty.
He has been Head of the Space Research Unit for the EU financing of space activities and then Head for the development and implementation of the European Earth observation programme initially known as GMES and later Copernicus. He is currently the Head of Unit in charge for Earth Observation at the European Commission.
Jeremy Wilks reports on science and technology for Euronews.
Jeremy covers everything from climate change and the environment, to the energy transition and healthcare innovation. He presents the award-winning Climate Now series and hosts the Ocean Calls podcast.
He moderates at major events such as COP27, European Space Conference, and WebSummit. He has interviewed hundreds of leading scientists, and well-known figures such as Bill Gates, Ursula von der Leyen and Thomas Pesquet.
Jeremy joined Euronews in September 2001, acting first as news reporter and later as business editor.
Prior to Euronews, Jeremy worked for several media outlets in the United Kingdom, including ITN, Essex Radio, and Millennium Radio.
Jeremy holds a B.A. in History and Literature and an M.A. in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick, UK. Jeremy is a native English speaker with fluent French.
As the demand for space services explodes, policymakers and industry representatives face the critical challenge of reconciling this growth with the urgent need to protect our planet and the environment around us. This session will discuss the challenges ahead, and look at the different policy and technology solutions that are available to ‘green’ space activities and reduce the environmental footprint of manufacturing and launching. It will look at how advancements in areas such as resource-efficient materials, cleaner fuels, and debris mitigation strategies are being used to help solve the problems, and at how Europe can work alongside like-minded international partners to ensure the realisation of our space objectives while minimising the impact on the planet.
Dr Andrew Williams is responsible for external relations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) – an intergovernmental organisation of 16 Member States that constructs and operates world-leading astronomical facilities and fosters international cooperation in science. Dr Williams supports strategic relationships with current and future Member States, the EU, UN COPUOS, and international organisations such as ESA and CERN. Additionally, Dr Williams is co-lead of the Policy Hub of the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Skies from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS), where he works to raise awareness of dark and quiet skies with space policymakers and coordinate policy studies and advocacy with the global astronomy community.
Kristina Nikolaus is the CEO and Co-Founder of OKAPI:Orbits, with work experience within Daimler AG and Siemens AG, passionate about business model design, strategic marketing & sales and all kind of data analysis.
Kristina was selected as one of FORBES’ 30 under 30 leading professionals and is one of the 50 most influential women in Business by Handelsblatt.
Loïs Miraux is a Space Engineering / General Engineering dual-degree graduate that converted to Environmental Science.
In addition to scientific space missions expanding our knowledge of the Universe, the insights from Earth observation satellites are critical to better understanding, mitigating, and adapting to global environmental change. The long-term sustainability of space activities is therefore of great importance and must be guaranteed.
However, the space industry is increasingly contributing to fueling environmental crises:
As an independent researcher, Loïs Miraux has addressed different angles of the topic, by evaluating the environmental impacts of present and future space activities, questioning the role of space applications in addressing environmental issues, exploring their vulnerabilities to global change and systemic risks, and challenging common narratives of the future of humanity in space. In the process, he has developed expertise in Life Cycle Assessment & Eco-design of space systems, and participated in these types of analyses at CNES and in the industry.
The satellite-powered Direct-to-Device (D2D) market is emerging as one of the next big things for the telecommunications sector and is seen as offering huge potential opportunities for the satellite industry. Under this new model of converged connectivity model, a satellite operator would partner with a terrestrial mobile operator to provide connectivity services directly to an off-the-shelf mobile device in areas where the terrestrial carrier lacks coverage. This session will look at the potential that D2D and hybrid connectivity offers, the market that is developing and the opportunities that it could offer for European players. It will examine the technological and regulatory challenges that need to be addressed are being seen in areas such as spectrum access and licencing, and at what needs to be done in order to overcome these and ensure that the potential of this new integration of multi-orbit satellite with terrestrial networks is realised.
Julie Kearney is the first Chief of the Space Bureau at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Launched in April 2023, the Space Bureau plays a key role in advancing the Commission’s Space Innovation Agenda to meet the needs of the next generation Space Age. As a globally-recognized leader/lawyer/board member in the technology and telecommunications field, Julie has been working for more than 25 years with governments, industry, and the public sector around the world to promote legal and regulatory frameworks and policies that enable life-changing technologies. Prior to the FCC, she held senior roles at Loon (an Alphabet company), Twilio Inc., the Consumer Technology Association, National Public Radio, MCI, and private legal practice. She earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.
Luciana Camargos is the GSMA’s Head of Spectrum. She directs the GSMA’s range of advocacy issues on public policy relating to spectrum with national governments and multilateral organisations.
Luciana’s career began with Brazilian regulator Anatel where she worked as part of the board advisory team. She joined the GSMA in 2012, where she has continued to be active in shaping the future of mobile services at international fora such as the ITU, CITEL and other multilateral organisations.
She has chaired regulatory groups charged with developing communications regulation at the ITU and in regional organisations. She is an active supporter of the role of women in technology and is a former chair of the ITU’s Network of Women.
Luciana earned an MBA in telecommunications from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, and a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Brasilia.
Dr Kamila Kloc joined the European Commission in December 2004. In 2019, she held a position of a Head of Unit Markets in Directorate B Electronic Communications Networks and Services of Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology.
Previously, she served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for Vice President Ansip responsible for Digital Single Market (DSM). Prior to joining the Cabinet, she worked at Directorate General for Energy, coordinating exemptions from regulatory access rules for gas pipelines.
During the Polish Presidency in 2011 she was seconded by the Commission to the President’s office of the Polish Energy Regulatory Authority. Earlier, she worked for 5 years at the Directorate General for Competition dealing with merger and antitrust cases. Prior to joining the Commission, she was emloyed at the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection in Poland as Adviser to the President.
Kamila Kloc started her professional career in academia and taught at Warsaw School of Economics as Assistant Professor. She has written her PhD on the role of competition policy in the public utilities sector with a special emphasis on telecommunications. She was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California in Berkeley and a Chevening fellow at Oxford University.
As the newest flagship of the European space programme, IRIS² is a vital cog in Europe’s broader space strategy. Its mission to establish secure, resilient, and self-reliant connectivity across Europe is crucial for European autonomy and prosperity. This session will explore how, by maintaining this commitment to environmental, economic, and social sustainability, IRIS² can serve as a model for a competitive and collaborative European space sector that contributes to a more secure, sustainable, and prosperous future for all Europeans.
Koen Willems is the Vice President European Union Programs and Government Relations at ST Engineering iDirect, where he defines and develops the global strategy for the government and defense market.
Before joining ST Engineering iDirect in 2008, he was Product Marketing Manager for Europe at the electronics giant TOSHIBA.
Willems has more than 25 years’ experience working in the technology industry. His expertise in the government and defense satellite market has grown through his involvement in different large (EU) programs, as well as frequent interactions with the end-user community and a range of topic-related degrees such as the ‘High Studies in Security and Defence’ degree at the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence; the ‘European Session for Armament Officials’ degree at the French National Institute of Higher Defense; and the ‘European Advanced Strategy Course on Security and Defense’ degree at the Egmont Institute, IHEDN and BAKS.
Willems has a master’s in English and Scandinavian Languages from Ghent University and a master’s in Marketing Strategy and Management from Vlekho Business School.
Enrique Fraga holds a degree in Mathematical Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and has completed a Business Management program at IESE Business School.
He began his professional career in 1997 at the Unión Fenosa group, where he performed software development work and process consulting in its Cash Management area. During 2001 and 2002 he worked in the telecommunications industry, performing analytical and software architecture work on projects for the companies Amena and Madritel.
He joined GMV in 2002, initially working as a project engineer in the control centers area, then later as a project manager. In 2006, he was appointed as head of the Eutelsat division within the control centers unit, and two years later the entire control centers area for commercial satellite operators became part of the division he supervised. This is an area where GMV has become the world’s leading provider of ground control systems for commercial telecommunications satellite operators.
In 2011, he was appointed as manager of GMV’s control centers and satellite mission planning unit, and in 2022 he was appointed as general manager of its new Earth Observation, Exploration, Science, Space Security, Telecommunications and Space Transport Systems sector, reporting directly to the group’s general manager. In this position, he leads a team of more than 900 engineers, who work at all of GMV’s international subsidiaries where space-related activities are performed.
Jeremy Wilks reports on science and technology for Euronews.
Jeremy covers everything from climate change and the environment, to the energy transition and healthcare innovation. He presents the award-winning Climate Now series and hosts the Ocean Calls podcast.
He moderates at major events such as COP27, European Space Conference, and WebSummit. He has interviewed hundreds of leading scientists, and well-known figures such as Bill Gates, Ursula von der Leyen and Thomas Pesquet.
Jeremy joined Euronews in September 2001, acting first as news reporter and later as business editor.
Prior to Euronews, Jeremy worked for several media outlets in the United Kingdom, including ITN, Essex Radio, and Millennium Radio.
Jeremy holds a B.A. in History and Literature and an M.A. in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick, UK. Jeremy is a native English speaker with fluent French.
In a context of growing geopolitical tension, space is becoming increasingly contested. The European Commission and EEAS adopted the EUSSSD Communication in March 2023 while the European Council adopted the Commission’s conclusions on the first EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence in November 2023. The strategy highlights the vital role of space in strengthening the resilience of the Union and its Member States and safeguarding our collective security and defence. The Commission and the EEAS adopted the EUSSSD Communication in March 2023, whilst the European Council adopted the Commission’s conclusions on the first EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence in November 2023. The conclusions aim to secure European sovereignty through the application of space-enabled systems, reinforcing tier resilience. We see the importance of space-enabled communications and intelligence in the ongoing conflicts, a crucial element of military capability but also ensuring truths are reported and misinformation challenged. Enhancing resilient space-enabled systems enables the EU to establish itself as a global space power, protecting its citizens and institutions, whilst capitalising on the associated economic and technological benefits that it brings to European competitiveness and growth. This session will look at how all players can contribute to securing Europe and meet and implement the strategic goals.
Benedikta von Seherr-Thoß is Managing Director for peace, security and defense at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Her responsibilities include space security, defence and diplomacy, the strategic planning of EU’s civilian and military missions and operations, cyber defence and diplomacy, maritime security, disarmament and non-proliferation, and counterterrorism, among others. Until October 2022, she served as Security Policy Director of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (MoD), dealing inter alia with bilateral relations, NATO, EU, nuclear policy as well as coordinating the MoD’s work on a new German National Security Strategy. From 2017, she was EU Representative of the German Ministry of Defence and Head of the EU Division in the Department for Security Policy for four years. She also had the ministerial lead on Germany’s EU Council Presidency in 2020.
Prior to that, she worked as Political Advisor to Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen for two years. From 2013-15, she was the first defence civilian to participate in the National General/Admiral Staff Officer Course of the Bundeswehr.
Before that, she spent more than two years working as Senior Political Advisor and then Deputy Director to the NATO Senior Civilian Representative at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul/Afghanistan. From 2007-11 she functioned as Deputy Head of the NATO Division in the Policy Planning & Advisory Staff to the Minister of Defence, focusing on the Alliance, transatlantic issues and nuclear policy. She started her career at NATO Headquarters in 2004, where she worked as Desk Officer in the Political Affairs & Security Policy Division. Benedikta studied Modern History at the University of Oxford, from where she graduated with a Masters and a PhD.
Maj. Gen. Cont was appointed Capability, Armament and Planning Director at the European Defence Agency on 1st April 2022. Born in Trento – Italy, on 3 Sept. 1963, he was commissioned in Sept. 1984 after graduating from the Italian Air Force Academy. His operational assignments include both Italy and the U.S., where he led different Commands in Fighter and Fighter Training Squadrons. He was appointed as the 61st FTW’S Commander and Lecce AFB Commander from 2006 to 2008. Maj. Gen. CONT is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours; a distinguished graduate of pilot training, and he has served as an instructor pilot and check pilot at the Italian Weapon Instructor School.
Prior to his current assignment and since August 2018, he served as Defense and Defense Cooperation Attaché in Washington (D.C.) As the highest-ranking representative of the Italian Defense accredited to the United States, Mexico, and Canada, his primary duties were to promote bilateral military relations and initiatives and enhance cooperation in research and development of security and defense programs. He was also responsible for overseeing the procurement process in the United States and supporting joint venture defense partnerships.
Between 2013 and 2018, he served as Head of the Political Military Office in the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense. As a MoD advisor, he supported the decision making process, on a political level, for defense industrial policy, international relations and long-term defense strategic evolution. Between 2000 and 2011, he served in the Defense General Staff as the Chief of the Strategic Planning and Capability Development Office and later as the Chief of the Strategic Affairs Office. His main duties included the development and supervision of the national “Long Term Capabilities Planning,” the national contribution to NATO and EU’s Force and Capabilities Planning, the implementation of the National Security and Defense Policy, and formulating strategic assessments and directives in crisis management. From 2012 to 2013, he was Deputy Chief o f t h e Airspace Programs Division of the Italian Air Force Staff.
Gen. CONT holds “Aeronautical Sciences” and “Political and Military Sciences” Degrees from Federico II University in Naples, and Midwestern State University (USA). He has a Masters in “International and Military’s Strategic Studies (Rome), “Public Management” (MSU-USA) and “National Security Strategy” (National Defense University-USA). He achieved the title of “doctor” in “International and Diplomatic Sciences” from the University of Trieste.
In addition to the required pilot and instructor’s professional training and education, Maj. Gen. CONT has attended several post- graduate courses. These courses include the “Total Quality Program Leader,” the “Civ-Mil Cooperation Course,” and the “Complex Organizations Reengineering Course.” He also specialized in “Defense Resources Management” (Naval Post Graduate School – Monterrey) and in Middle East Studies at the “Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies” (Washington).
From 2015 to 2018 he taught “military politics and strategy” at the CASD and the LUISS university in Rome. He is the author of several publications related to Geopolitics, Geostrategy and Strategic Planning. His latest publication is “Gé-Politiké,” a manual for geopolitical scholars.
He is married to Laura Fabrizi and has a daughter named Giulia Diane.
Europe has always been at the forefront of advocating for best practices in various critical aspects of space activities, notably in areas such as safety, security, sustainability, and international cooperation. In the current, increasingly complex, strategic and vulnerable environment both in space and on Earth, promoting these core values and principles is not only essential for fostering responsible space exploration but can also be a key element in promoting Europe as a credible leader in the global space ecosystem. Against the backdrop of the EUSL but also looking more broadly at the way in which Galileo and Copernicus have developed as global benchmarks and are used by international partners all over the world, and at how ESA has collaborated with international partners in multiple areas, including in space exploration and scientific missions; this session will look at key European strengths, and at how these can be leveraged to foster international partnerships and position Europe as a global partner in the international space field.
Marjolijn van Deelen assumed the position of EU Special Envoy for Space in February 2024 following 3,5 years of executing the function of EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
Her primary mission is to represent the EU in multilateral fora dedicated to space with a focus on promoting responsible behaviour in space. To that end, she engages with third States through dialogue and consultations. The Special Envoy also has operational responsibilities as to the response to possible threats to or through the systems and services deriving from the EU Space Programme as well as concerning the EU Satellite Centre. She cooperates with European Commission services and contributes to the development of the security aspects of the EU Space Programme as well as all other related matters.
Marjolijn van Deelen is a career diplomat of the Netherlands. Before joining the EU External Action Service (EEAS), she headed the Non-proliferation, Disarmament and Nuclear Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands with the title of Ambassador. She held several posts abroad (to the international organisations in Vienna, at the Dutch Embassies in Bucharest and San Jose), as well as positions in The Hague (Europe Division, Middle East Division, UN Division, Development Assistance).
Ms. Van Deelen holds a Masters in Geophysics from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, as well as a BA in Economics from the American University in Washington DC.
Dr. Rolf Kozlowski is the CEO of DLR GfR mbH, a leading company specializing in satellite navigation and operating the Galileo Control Center in Oberpfaffenhofen on behalf of the European Commission.
Since 2020, Dr. Rolf Kozlowski has significantly enriched DLR GfR mbH with his dedication and extensive experience in the aerospace industry, highly contributing to the success story of the company.
Yohann Bénard is Amazon’s Public Policy Director EU, digital. He started his career in blue chip French governmental bodies, serving as judge with the Council of State, then advisor to the Prime Minister and deputy chief of staff to Economy & Finance Minister Christine Lagarde. Before joining Amazon, Yohann held senior business and corporate roles in the telecom industry (Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia).
Hermann Ludwig Moeller is the Director of European Space Policy Institute since September 2022. Prior to joining ESPI, he held leading positions at ESA in the creation of EU Copernicus and in the preparation of the EU Secure Connectivity initiative as Head of Telecommunications Strategy, Programme and Transformation Office and as Head of Copernicus Space Segment Office. In these functions, Mr. Moeller has been operating with high level leadership in a complex multi-stakeholder policy environment in public-private partnerships with industry, at EU level, with EUMETSAT and with national space agencies and delegations. Prior to that he held the ESA Douglas Marsh Fellow at NASA and contributed to the creation of the European Internet backbone. He acquired early professional experience at the European Patent Office and with Siemens.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
On 16 October 2020, Rodrigo da Costa took up his duties as Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), formerly the European GNSS Agency (GSA). Prior to this, he was the Galileo Services Programme Manager from March 2017.
EUSPA is an Agency of dedicated EU professionals working for a stronger, more competitive and united European Space Programme, creating synergies between satellite navigation (EGNOS & Galileo), Earth Observation (Copernicus) and secure telecommunications (GOVSATCOM). EUSPA designs and delivers user-centered services working together with the European Commission and a wide range of national, European and international stakeholders, industries and user communities. The EU Space Programme is both a resource and a springboard for the European economy, competitiveness and sustainability.
Before joining EUSPA, Rodrigo da Costa held several senior project management, business development, and institutional key account management positions in the space industry, in the areas of human space flight, exploration, launchers and R&D.
Rodrigo da Costa holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the “Instituto Superior Tecnico” in Lisbon, a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Delft, and an MBA from the EuroMBA consortium of Business Schools.
Eva Berneke is Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat Group, the world’s first GEO-LEO integrated satellite operator formed through the merger of Eutelsat Communications, a global leader in geostationary (GEO) satellite operations, and OneWeb, a world-class low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network.
Eva Berneke joined Eutelsat on 1st January 2022 from KMD, Denmark’s leading IT and software company, specialising in IT solutions and services for the public and private sector, and now part of the NEC Group. During her tenure she oversaw the transformation of KMD from a mainly government service provider to a modern, digital company competing in both the public and private sectors.
Prior to that Eva held several senior positions at TDC, formerly TeleDanmark, the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, notably as Head of Strategy and Head of the company’s Wholesale Business division. Eva began her career at McKinsey where she developed a specialization in the TMT sectors and where she was based for 10 years at the group’s Paris offices.
Eva sits on the Boards of international groups Lego and Vestas Wind Systems as well as France’s Ecole Polytechnique. She is a graduate of Denmark’s Technical University, where she gained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Hermann Ludwig Moeller is the Director of European Space Policy Institute since September 2022. Prior to joining ESPI, he held leading positions at ESA in the creation of EU Copernicus and in the preparation of the EU Secure Connectivity initiative as Head of Telecommunications Strategy, Programme and Transformation Office and as Head of Copernicus Space Segment Office. In these functions, Mr. Moeller has been operating with high level leadership in a complex multi-stakeholder policy environment in public-private partnerships with industry, at EU level, with EUMETSAT and with national space agencies and delegations. Prior to that he held the ESA Douglas Marsh Fellow at NASA and contributed to the creation of the European Internet backbone. He acquired early professional experience at the European Patent Office and with Siemens.
The space economy is evolving like never before. An unprecedented amount of public and private investment is going into new constellations leading to a renewed space race, and, causing concern for governments the world over about the sustainability of space for future generations. The boom in satellites being launched into space was arguably foreseeable a decade ago. This led to the adoption of the Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines by the UN in 2019. Yet the world remains far from agreeing on a binding set of norms and regulations that are vitally needed if the risks resulting from congestion in space are truly to be mitigated. Voluntary initiatives such as Charters and Sustainability Ratings continue to emerge but risk falling short of making a tangible difference. The European Union however is pioneering an approach that could put Europe at the forefront of binding regulation. The EU Space Law (EUSL) is due to emerge in 2024, providing potentially binding measures (rules) and non-binding measures (labels) for the development of sustainable activities in space.
Eva Berneke is Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat Group, the world’s first GEO-LEO integrated satellite operator formed through the merger of Eutelsat Communications, a global leader in geostationary (GEO) satellite operations, and OneWeb, a world-class low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network.
Eva Berneke joined Eutelsat on 1st January 2022 from KMD, Denmark’s leading IT and software company, specialising in IT solutions and services for the public and private sector, and now part of the NEC Group. During her tenure she oversaw the transformation of KMD from a mainly government service provider to a modern, digital company competing in both the public and private sectors.
Prior to that Eva held several senior positions at TDC, formerly TeleDanmark, the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, notably as Head of Strategy and Head of the company’s Wholesale Business division. Eva began her career at McKinsey where she developed a specialization in the TMT sectors and where she was based for 10 years at the group’s Paris offices.
Eva sits on the Boards of international groups Lego and Vestas Wind Systems as well as France’s Ecole Polytechnique. She is a graduate of Denmark’s Technical University, where she gained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Chiara Manfletti is the CEO at Neuraspace and the Professor of Space Propulsion and Mobility at the Technical University of Munich. At the early stage of her career, she worked for the German Aerospace Center, DLR, as a research engineer in the field of liquid rocket propulsion and later joined the European Space Agency (ESA) where she was the Head of Policy and Programmes Coordination department Programme and Advisor to the Director General at the agency’s headquarters in Paris.
Chiara was nominated as the first President of the then-founded Portuguese national space agency, Portugal Space, and within one-and-half years set up the space agency from scratch as a modern space agency and established a new space implementation strategy for Portugal working with partners within and outside of the country.
She is bestowed with the title of the “Mother of the Space Safety and Security Programmatic Pillar of ESA” and the “Creator of EuRoC”. Chiara has a Doctorate (Dr. -Ing) degree in Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, a Master’s Degree in Space Studies (MSS) from International Space University (ISU), Strasbourg, France and holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London, UK. She also holds a master’s in history from the UK Open University (2013).
Chiara Manfletti has dual Italian and German nationality and loves hiking high mountains, photography, beekeeping, ornithology and constructing IoT devices.
Hamza Hameed is a Pakistani lawyer who works as a Senior Practice Manager for Access Partnership in Singapore. He is a member of the ITU Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board and served as the Chair of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) from 2022-2024. He supports governments and the private sector with policy, regulatory, and compliance-related matters in the space, satellite, and telecommunications industries. Prior to this, Hamza worked as part of the Secretariat of UNIDROIT in Rome. He led the effort towards establishing an international system of secured transactions law for the space sector, as well as advising governments on issues related to blockchain law and crypto law.
Hamza holds an LLM from the International Institute for Air and Space Law at Leiden University. He teaches spacecraft financing at various universities and is a member of the International Institute for Space Law (IISL).
Jordi Casanova Tormo has more than ten years experience in competition and regulatory economics. He has worked in private practice and government organisations at national and European level. Jordi’s areas of expertise span from industrial organisation, regulatory economics, corporate finance, statistical analysis and international relations. He has experience in a wide range of sectors, including technology, telecommunications and media, airports and aviation, energy, financial and retail sectors.
Sara Dalledonne is a Research Fellow with the Lead on Regulatory Affairs at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), and she is the ESPI representative in Brussels. She is the Space Law expert reference at the University of Bologna in Italy, and a Member of the Support Committee for the Aviation & Space Journal (ASJ). She is also the Lead for Networking & Events at Women in Aerospace Europe (WIA-E) in Austria. Prior to joining ESPI, she worked as Research Assistant at the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University. She holds an L.L.M. in Air and Space Law from the McGill University, an L.L.M. in International Trade Law from ITCILO (University of Turin) and a 5-year Law degree from the University of Bologna. She also completed an ITU Training Course in Satellite Coordination Procedures and Filings.
Autonomous access to space is a prerequisite for European strategic autonomy and an indispensable element in the European space ecosystem, without which there is no autonomous space policy. The retirement of Ariane 5 in July 2023 coupled with delays to Ariane 6 and Vega-C temporarily left Europe without this key independent access to space. Europe has since navigated these hurdles to regain its autonomous launch capabilities, but in the interim period, there was a need to turn towards non-European launch service providers. This session will look at lessons learnt from this situation and from current and past launcher programmes, and at measures that are put in place to ensure long term and permanent autonomous access to space for Europe going forward. It will look at how policy is evolving and at the important role that a more competitive launcher ecosystem and the introduction of new space players can play as part of this solution.
A Danish national and mechanical engineer, Toni Tolker-Nielsen began his career with APV ANHYDRO in Copenhagen in 1983 before taking a role at CERN in Geneva.
He joined ESA in 1987 – initially working on pointing and tracking systems for laser communication systems – and in 2003 moved to what was then known as the Launchers Directorate, with responsibility for the return-to-flight programme for Ariane 5 ECA (Evolution Cryotechnique type A) after its launch failure in December 2002.
Mr Tolker-Nielsen went on to oversee significant changes to the organisation of the European launcher industry initiated in the wake of the ECA failure – changes which helped deliver the very successful Ariane 5 programme which ended in July 2023.
He was then appointed ESA Inspector General – an Executive Board position with the duty to guarantee technical and managerial excellence across ESA. Mr Tolker-Nielsen later headed Earth Observation projects and acted as Director of Earth Observation Programmes from 2021, when Josef Aschbacher took up duty as ESA Director General.
Isabella Poldrugo is Acting Head of Unit the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), responsible for EU Space Policy. Objective of the unit is to design and ensure a coherent and overarching EU Space policy, including regulatory aspects and to foster an innovative and globally competitive EU Space ecosystem.
Isabella joined the Commission in 2019, where she worked as policy officer in the Unit dealing with space policy in the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS).
Before, she spent ten years in the European Parliament as policy advisor to Members of the European Parliament, dealing with dossiers on energy, industry and trade. She served also as policy advisor to the Italian Minister of Defence and to the Undersecretary of State for Defence.
Lea advises firms on strategy, policy, and regulatory affairs in the space, spectrum, and defence ecosystems. She is also Vice Chair for the Security, Defence and Space Committee at AmCham EU. She founded and led the APCO Worldwide Space and Defence Practice, and prior was a space consultant at PwC, working on projects for EU institutions, ESA, and private aerospace and defence companies. Lea has experience in strategic advisory, management consulting, and market analyses, including a socio-economic impact assessment of European launchers and internal strategy on the European defence industry and space militarisation. She holds degrees from the University of Kent and Sciences Po Paris, speaks multiple languages, and has lived in nine countries.
The EU finds itself at a crucial junction concerning its leadership in the space domain. Over the past years, and against a background of intensifying geopolitical tensions, the European Union dependency on space-based technologies, components and advanced materials has been-increasing, feeding a profound reflection on our global economy, national security, and everyday lives. This session will look at the actions that need to be taken to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of the European space industry. It will explore the importance of fostering a culture of innovation, resilience and collaboration among European space stakeholders, ensuring a steady flow of investment into cutting-edge technologies, and streamlining regulatory processes to accelerate the development and deployment of new space capabilities. As we navigate the complexities of an emerging space race, the European space industry stands at a crossroads. How can we ensure that we take the right path and ensure a secure, sustainable and resiliant European Space Supply Chain that continues to support our economic prosperity, delivering societal well-being and global leadership?
In 2016, Alexander founded the company ENPULSION, which quickly established itself as an industry standard in the field of electric propulsion systems for SmallSats. He started his career in the space business with Beyond Gravity, formerly known as RUAG Space, working in Thermal Hardware and later in Mechanical Engineering on projects like Sentinel or Bepi Colombo. He then joined the Austrian Institute of Technology and became the Team Leader for Electric Propulsion Systems. In 2013, he became Department Head shortly after it was moved to FOTEC, the research subsidiary of the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences and doubled its size. His personal expertise covers hydrogen-based energy systems, as well as electric propulsion technologies. After graduating from the Technical University of Vienna with a Dpl.Ing. (MSc) in Physics, he started a PhD programme at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), then followed his supervisor to the Technical University of Dresden to complete the programme.
Olivier has a long-standing experience and a strong network in the European space policy sector, at the crossroads of the private and the public sector.
He has been part of the Belgian delegation to the ESA Council and also advising the Belgian Permanent Representation on space matters, under the authority of E. Beka, High representative of Belgium for space policy. Olivier then moved to Eurospace, as Head of the Brussels Office until 2014, when he has been hired by Thales Alenia Space as director for EU affairs.
Isabelle Mauro is Director General of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) that represents the interests of 29 global and regional satellite operators. She reports directly to their Chief Executives.
Under Isabelle’s leadership, GSOA and its member CEOs lead the effort to showcase the benefits of satellite communications for a more inclusive and secure society – vital to bridging the world’s digital divide, achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the 5G ecosystem.
Isabelle has 25 years experience in the Telecoms and Technology sector, starting at the GSMA, where she was responsible for government and international Affairs. In 2015 she moved to New York to join the World Economic Forum as Head of Information, Communications and Technology Industries, managing the portfolio for 60+ Tech companies globally and leading initiatives on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.
Isabelle is passionate about inclusion and sustainability. She is Chair of the High-Level Advisory Board of the DigitalGoesGreen Foundation. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Women in Tech and is a member of the UNESCO Advisory Group for the Declaration on Connectivity for Education.
Isabelle holds an MSc in European Politics and Policy from the London School of Economics. She is fluent in French, English, Italian and Spanish.
Phil Evans became EUMETSAT’s fifth Director-General on 1 January 2021. Phil took over leadership of the organisation at an exciting and challenging time. Exciting, because the organisation will deploy the first of its next-generation geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite systems from 2022. Challenging, due to the complexity of these systems and the global coronavirus pandemic’s impact on working conditions.
Phil brings to the role the experience gained from his long career in senior management positions at the UK Met Office and a background in remote sensing and satellite instrumentation. He also has a strong commitment to collaboration with partners around the globe.
He brought to the position a deep understanding of EUMETSAT’s culture and values, having led the UK’s delegation on the organisation’s Council from 2018 to 2020.
Starting at the Met Office in 1988, Phil rose to become Chief Operating Officer from 2017 to 2020. In this role, he was responsible for the organisation’s operational forecasting, observation development and infrastructure and international relations, as well as organisation-wide operational delivery, resilience and security.
Other positions Phil held at the Met Office included Director of Government Business, Chief Advisor to Government, Head of Secretariat and Managing Director of Commercial Business. As Director Government Business, he was responsible for Met Office services to Government and industry related to climate research, weather forecasting, defence, international aid and UK warnings.
Phil started at the Met Office in scientific and technical roles related to remote sensing. This work involved satellite data retrieval, instrument specification and design.
After leaving the Met Office and before joining EUMETSAT, Phil was Director of Physics Programmes at the Institute of Physics, in 2020. There, he was a member of the Executive Board and Board of Trustees. He was responsible for education improvement and physics innovation programmes, equality, inclusion and diversity programmes for the physics community and the Enterprise Programme Office.
He has an Honours degree in Physics from Birmingham University.
Space data provides a unique viewpoint to understand the Earth and the accelerating change we’re experiencing in a variety of different areas – climate, biodiversity, infrastructure, land use and more. Fueling a suite of Earth system modelling tools and services, space data is a central part of how we monitor and protect our environments, as well as how we increase resilience in areas such as disaster management, risk prevention, civil protection. These are all areas in which Europe has been at the forefront of through its Copernicus programme. One area in which the full potential of space data is arguably still to be realised however is the development of the private market. Whilst some examples are being seen of space data contributing to digitalisation across vertical sectors such as automotive, agriculture and maritime, the explosion of use cases and vast commercialisation of space data to deliver economic growth that was hoped has arguably not yet been delivered. This session will explore the long term future of space data and what needs to be done to harness the huge value that it offers across both the public and private sectors. It will look at the impact that it has already made in helping to tackle climate change and increase resilience, and at the work that still remains to be done in order to push growth in the private market for space data and more broadly to maximise the vast economic and societal potential that exists.
Pascale Ultré-Guérard has been appointed Deputy Director for Programs at the Strategy Directorate of CNES in January 2022. She manages 50 experts working in 5 departments covering all domains of activity at CNES: access to space, Earth observation and sciences, universe science and exploration, safety and defence, telecommunication, navigation, facilities plus 2 transverse departments for programming and science coordination.
Before that she spent more than one year at the Ministry of higher education, research and innovation as Head of Space and Defence Department.
From 2017 to 2020, she was deputy Director for Programming, International affairs and Quality.
Before that, she spent 11 years as Head of Earth Observation Program and team at the Strategy and Programs Directorate of CNES and was CEOS (Committee of Earth Observation Satellites) SIT (Strategic Implementation Team) chair from 2014 to 2015.
She joined Cnes in 1999 as Program manager in Solid Earth Sciences.
Pascale Ultré-Guérard has a PhD in geomagnetic field modeling delivered by IPGP (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris).
Nicolaus Hanowski holds a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences. He started as a researcher in the US and then transferred to Mission Operations at the German Space Operations Centre. In 2009 he joined ESA and became responsible for the development of Science Ground Segments for missions, such Rosetta, Gaia, JWST, Solar Orbiter and Euclid in the Science Directorate. Since 2014 he is responsible for the Operations and Ground Segments of the ESA Earth Observation Missions and the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and the corresponding data management aspects at ESA. He is coordinating the Copernicus Long Term Scenario of Copernicus and the Destination Earth activities within ESA.
Mr Mauro Facchini is Head of the Unit for Earth Observation in the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS).
Mauro Facchini is Italian and has an engineering background with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Before joining the European Commission he has worked in Italy, UK and Switzerland, mostly in the academic and research environment.
He joined the European Commission in 2002, initially as supervisor of research projects. Then he has been involved in Space aspects and participated to the definition of the European Space Policy from its early days in concluding agreements with ESA and in drafting and including article 189 (EU Space Competence) in the Lisbon Treaty.
He has been Head of the Space Research Unit for the EU financing of space activities and then Head for the development and implementation of the European Earth observation programme initially known as GMES and later Copernicus. He is currently the Head of Unit in charge for Earth Observation at the European Commission.
Jeremy Wilks reports on science and technology for Euronews.
Jeremy covers everything from climate change and the environment, to the energy transition and healthcare innovation. He presents the award-winning Climate Now series and hosts the Ocean Calls podcast.
He moderates at major events such as COP27, European Space Conference, and WebSummit. He has interviewed hundreds of leading scientists, and well-known figures such as Bill Gates, Ursula von der Leyen and Thomas Pesquet.
Jeremy joined Euronews in September 2001, acting first as news reporter and later as business editor.
Prior to Euronews, Jeremy worked for several media outlets in the United Kingdom, including ITN, Essex Radio, and Millennium Radio.
Jeremy holds a B.A. in History and Literature and an M.A. in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick, UK. Jeremy is a native English speaker with fluent French.
As the demand for space services explodes, policymakers and industry representatives face the critical challenge of reconciling this growth with the urgent need to protect our planet and the environment around us. This session will discuss the challenges ahead, and look at the different policy and technology solutions that are available to ‘green’ space activities and reduce the environmental footprint of manufacturing and launching. It will look at how advancements in areas such as resource-efficient materials, cleaner fuels, and debris mitigation strategies are being used to help solve the problems, and at how Europe can work alongside like-minded international partners to ensure the realisation of our space objectives while minimising the impact on the planet.
Dr Andrew Williams is responsible for external relations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) – an intergovernmental organisation of 16 Member States that constructs and operates world-leading astronomical facilities and fosters international cooperation in science. Dr Williams supports strategic relationships with current and future Member States, the EU, UN COPUOS, and international organisations such as ESA and CERN. Additionally, Dr Williams is co-lead of the Policy Hub of the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Skies from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS), where he works to raise awareness of dark and quiet skies with space policymakers and coordinate policy studies and advocacy with the global astronomy community.
Kristina Nikolaus is the CEO and Co-Founder of OKAPI:Orbits, with work experience within Daimler AG and Siemens AG, passionate about business model design, strategic marketing & sales and all kind of data analysis.
Kristina was selected as one of FORBES’ 30 under 30 leading professionals and is one of the 50 most influential women in Business by Handelsblatt.
Loïs Miraux is a Space Engineering / General Engineering dual-degree graduate that converted to Environmental Science.
In addition to scientific space missions expanding our knowledge of the Universe, the insights from Earth observation satellites are critical to better understanding, mitigating, and adapting to global environmental change. The long-term sustainability of space activities is therefore of great importance and must be guaranteed.
However, the space industry is increasingly contributing to fueling environmental crises:
As an independent researcher, Loïs Miraux has addressed different angles of the topic, by evaluating the environmental impacts of present and future space activities, questioning the role of space applications in addressing environmental issues, exploring their vulnerabilities to global change and systemic risks, and challenging common narratives of the future of humanity in space. In the process, he has developed expertise in Life Cycle Assessment & Eco-design of space systems, and participated in these types of analyses at CNES and in the industry.
The satellite-powered Direct-to-Device (D2D) market is emerging as one of the next big things for the telecommunications sector and is seen as offering huge potential opportunities for the satellite industry. Under this new model of converged connectivity model, a satellite operator would partner with a terrestrial mobile operator to provide connectivity services directly to an off-the-shelf mobile device in areas where the terrestrial carrier lacks coverage. This session will look at the potential that D2D and hybrid connectivity offers, the market that is developing and the opportunities that it could offer for European players. It will examine the technological and regulatory challenges that need to be addressed are being seen in areas such as spectrum access and licencing, and at what needs to be done in order to overcome these and ensure that the potential of this new integration of multi-orbit satellite with terrestrial networks is realised.
Julie Kearney is the first Chief of the Space Bureau at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Launched in April 2023, the Space Bureau plays a key role in advancing the Commission’s Space Innovation Agenda to meet the needs of the next generation Space Age. As a globally-recognized leader/lawyer/board member in the technology and telecommunications field, Julie has been working for more than 25 years with governments, industry, and the public sector around the world to promote legal and regulatory frameworks and policies that enable life-changing technologies. Prior to the FCC, she held senior roles at Loon (an Alphabet company), Twilio Inc., the Consumer Technology Association, National Public Radio, MCI, and private legal practice. She earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.
Luciana Camargos is the GSMA’s Head of Spectrum. She directs the GSMA’s range of advocacy issues on public policy relating to spectrum with national governments and multilateral organisations.
Luciana’s career began with Brazilian regulator Anatel where she worked as part of the board advisory team. She joined the GSMA in 2012, where she has continued to be active in shaping the future of mobile services at international fora such as the ITU, CITEL and other multilateral organisations.
She has chaired regulatory groups charged with developing communications regulation at the ITU and in regional organisations. She is an active supporter of the role of women in technology and is a former chair of the ITU’s Network of Women.
Luciana earned an MBA in telecommunications from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, and a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Brasilia.
Dr Kamila Kloc joined the European Commission in December 2004. In 2019, she held a position of a Head of Unit Markets in Directorate B Electronic Communications Networks and Services of Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology.
Previously, she served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for Vice President Ansip responsible for Digital Single Market (DSM). Prior to joining the Cabinet, she worked at Directorate General for Energy, coordinating exemptions from regulatory access rules for gas pipelines.
During the Polish Presidency in 2011 she was seconded by the Commission to the President’s office of the Polish Energy Regulatory Authority. Earlier, she worked for 5 years at the Directorate General for Competition dealing with merger and antitrust cases. Prior to joining the Commission, she was emloyed at the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection in Poland as Adviser to the President.
Kamila Kloc started her professional career in academia and taught at Warsaw School of Economics as Assistant Professor. She has written her PhD on the role of competition policy in the public utilities sector with a special emphasis on telecommunications. She was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California in Berkeley and a Chevening fellow at Oxford University.
As the newest flagship of the European space programme, IRIS² is a vital cog in Europe’s broader space strategy. Its mission to establish secure, resilient, and self-reliant connectivity across Europe is crucial for European autonomy and prosperity. This session will explore how, by maintaining this commitment to environmental, economic, and social sustainability, IRIS² can serve as a model for a competitive and collaborative European space sector that contributes to a more secure, sustainable, and prosperous future for all Europeans.
Koen Willems is the Vice President European Union Programs and Government Relations at ST Engineering iDirect, where he defines and develops the global strategy for the government and defense market.
Before joining ST Engineering iDirect in 2008, he was Product Marketing Manager for Europe at the electronics giant TOSHIBA.
Willems has more than 25 years’ experience working in the technology industry. His expertise in the government and defense satellite market has grown through his involvement in different large (EU) programs, as well as frequent interactions with the end-user community and a range of topic-related degrees such as the ‘High Studies in Security and Defence’ degree at the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence; the ‘European Session for Armament Officials’ degree at the French National Institute of Higher Defense; and the ‘European Advanced Strategy Course on Security and Defense’ degree at the Egmont Institute, IHEDN and BAKS.
Willems has a master’s in English and Scandinavian Languages from Ghent University and a master’s in Marketing Strategy and Management from Vlekho Business School.
Enrique Fraga holds a degree in Mathematical Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and has completed a Business Management program at IESE Business School.
He began his professional career in 1997 at the Unión Fenosa group, where he performed software development work and process consulting in its Cash Management area. During 2001 and 2002 he worked in the telecommunications industry, performing analytical and software architecture work on projects for the companies Amena and Madritel.
He joined GMV in 2002, initially working as a project engineer in the control centers area, then later as a project manager. In 2006, he was appointed as head of the Eutelsat division within the control centers unit, and two years later the entire control centers area for commercial satellite operators became part of the division he supervised. This is an area where GMV has become the world’s leading provider of ground control systems for commercial telecommunications satellite operators.
In 2011, he was appointed as manager of GMV’s control centers and satellite mission planning unit, and in 2022 he was appointed as general manager of its new Earth Observation, Exploration, Science, Space Security, Telecommunications and Space Transport Systems sector, reporting directly to the group’s general manager. In this position, he leads a team of more than 900 engineers, who work at all of GMV’s international subsidiaries where space-related activities are performed.
Jeremy Wilks reports on science and technology for Euronews.
Jeremy covers everything from climate change and the environment, to the energy transition and healthcare innovation. He presents the award-winning Climate Now series and hosts the Ocean Calls podcast.
He moderates at major events such as COP27, European Space Conference, and WebSummit. He has interviewed hundreds of leading scientists, and well-known figures such as Bill Gates, Ursula von der Leyen and Thomas Pesquet.
Jeremy joined Euronews in September 2001, acting first as news reporter and later as business editor.
Prior to Euronews, Jeremy worked for several media outlets in the United Kingdom, including ITN, Essex Radio, and Millennium Radio.
Jeremy holds a B.A. in History and Literature and an M.A. in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick, UK. Jeremy is a native English speaker with fluent French.
In a context of growing geopolitical tension, space is becoming increasingly contested. The European Commission and EEAS adopted the EUSSSD Communication in March 2023 while the European Council adopted the Commission’s conclusions on the first EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence in November 2023. The strategy highlights the vital role of space in strengthening the resilience of the Union and its Member States and safeguarding our collective security and defence. The Commission and the EEAS adopted the EUSSSD Communication in March 2023, whilst the European Council adopted the Commission’s conclusions on the first EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence in November 2023. The conclusions aim to secure European sovereignty through the application of space-enabled systems, reinforcing tier resilience. We see the importance of space-enabled communications and intelligence in the ongoing conflicts, a crucial element of military capability but also ensuring truths are reported and misinformation challenged. Enhancing resilient space-enabled systems enables the EU to establish itself as a global space power, protecting its citizens and institutions, whilst capitalising on the associated economic and technological benefits that it brings to European competitiveness and growth. This session will look at how all players can contribute to securing Europe and meet and implement the strategic goals.
Benedikta von Seherr-Thoß is Managing Director for peace, security and defense at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Her responsibilities include space security, defence and diplomacy, the strategic planning of EU’s civilian and military missions and operations, cyber defence and diplomacy, maritime security, disarmament and non-proliferation, and counterterrorism, among others. Until October 2022, she served as Security Policy Director of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (MoD), dealing inter alia with bilateral relations, NATO, EU, nuclear policy as well as coordinating the MoD’s work on a new German National Security Strategy. From 2017, she was EU Representative of the German Ministry of Defence and Head of the EU Division in the Department for Security Policy for four years. She also had the ministerial lead on Germany’s EU Council Presidency in 2020.
Prior to that, she worked as Political Advisor to Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen for two years. From 2013-15, she was the first defence civilian to participate in the National General/Admiral Staff Officer Course of the Bundeswehr.
Before that, she spent more than two years working as Senior Political Advisor and then Deputy Director to the NATO Senior Civilian Representative at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul/Afghanistan. From 2007-11 she functioned as Deputy Head of the NATO Division in the Policy Planning & Advisory Staff to the Minister of Defence, focusing on the Alliance, transatlantic issues and nuclear policy. She started her career at NATO Headquarters in 2004, where she worked as Desk Officer in the Political Affairs & Security Policy Division. Benedikta studied Modern History at the University of Oxford, from where she graduated with a Masters and a PhD.
Maj. Gen. Cont was appointed Capability, Armament and Planning Director at the European Defence Agency on 1st April 2022. Born in Trento – Italy, on 3 Sept. 1963, he was commissioned in Sept. 1984 after graduating from the Italian Air Force Academy. His operational assignments include both Italy and the U.S., where he led different Commands in Fighter and Fighter Training Squadrons. He was appointed as the 61st FTW’S Commander and Lecce AFB Commander from 2006 to 2008. Maj. Gen. CONT is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours; a distinguished graduate of pilot training, and he has served as an instructor pilot and check pilot at the Italian Weapon Instructor School.
Prior to his current assignment and since August 2018, he served as Defense and Defense Cooperation Attaché in Washington (D.C.) As the highest-ranking representative of the Italian Defense accredited to the United States, Mexico, and Canada, his primary duties were to promote bilateral military relations and initiatives and enhance cooperation in research and development of security and defense programs. He was also responsible for overseeing the procurement process in the United States and supporting joint venture defense partnerships.
Between 2013 and 2018, he served as Head of the Political Military Office in the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense. As a MoD advisor, he supported the decision making process, on a political level, for defense industrial policy, international relations and long-term defense strategic evolution. Between 2000 and 2011, he served in the Defense General Staff as the Chief of the Strategic Planning and Capability Development Office and later as the Chief of the Strategic Affairs Office. His main duties included the development and supervision of the national “Long Term Capabilities Planning,” the national contribution to NATO and EU’s Force and Capabilities Planning, the implementation of the National Security and Defense Policy, and formulating strategic assessments and directives in crisis management. From 2012 to 2013, he was Deputy Chief o f t h e Airspace Programs Division of the Italian Air Force Staff.
Gen. CONT holds “Aeronautical Sciences” and “Political and Military Sciences” Degrees from Federico II University in Naples, and Midwestern State University (USA). He has a Masters in “International and Military’s Strategic Studies (Rome), “Public Management” (MSU-USA) and “National Security Strategy” (National Defense University-USA). He achieved the title of “doctor” in “International and Diplomatic Sciences” from the University of Trieste.
In addition to the required pilot and instructor’s professional training and education, Maj. Gen. CONT has attended several post- graduate courses. These courses include the “Total Quality Program Leader,” the “Civ-Mil Cooperation Course,” and the “Complex Organizations Reengineering Course.” He also specialized in “Defense Resources Management” (Naval Post Graduate School – Monterrey) and in Middle East Studies at the “Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies” (Washington).
From 2015 to 2018 he taught “military politics and strategy” at the CASD and the LUISS university in Rome. He is the author of several publications related to Geopolitics, Geostrategy and Strategic Planning. His latest publication is “Gé-Politiké,” a manual for geopolitical scholars.
He is married to Laura Fabrizi and has a daughter named Giulia Diane.
Europe has always been at the forefront of advocating for best practices in various critical aspects of space activities, notably in areas such as safety, security, sustainability, and international cooperation. In the current, increasingly complex, strategic and vulnerable environment both in space and on Earth, promoting these core values and principles is not only essential for fostering responsible space exploration but can also be a key element in promoting Europe as a credible leader in the global space ecosystem. Against the backdrop of the EUSL but also looking more broadly at the way in which Galileo and Copernicus have developed as global benchmarks and are used by international partners all over the world, and at how ESA has collaborated with international partners in multiple areas, including in space exploration and scientific missions; this session will look at key European strengths, and at how these can be leveraged to foster international partnerships and position Europe as a global partner in the international space field.
Marjolijn van Deelen assumed the position of EU Special Envoy for Space in February 2024 following 3,5 years of executing the function of EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
Her primary mission is to represent the EU in multilateral fora dedicated to space with a focus on promoting responsible behaviour in space. To that end, she engages with third States through dialogue and consultations. The Special Envoy also has operational responsibilities as to the response to possible threats to or through the systems and services deriving from the EU Space Programme as well as concerning the EU Satellite Centre. She cooperates with European Commission services and contributes to the development of the security aspects of the EU Space Programme as well as all other related matters.
Marjolijn van Deelen is a career diplomat of the Netherlands. Before joining the EU External Action Service (EEAS), she headed the Non-proliferation, Disarmament and Nuclear Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands with the title of Ambassador. She held several posts abroad (to the international organisations in Vienna, at the Dutch Embassies in Bucharest and San Jose), as well as positions in The Hague (Europe Division, Middle East Division, UN Division, Development Assistance).
Ms. Van Deelen holds a Masters in Geophysics from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, as well as a BA in Economics from the American University in Washington DC.
Dr. Rolf Kozlowski is the CEO of DLR GfR mbH, a leading company specializing in satellite navigation and operating the Galileo Control Center in Oberpfaffenhofen on behalf of the European Commission.
Since 2020, Dr. Rolf Kozlowski has significantly enriched DLR GfR mbH with his dedication and extensive experience in the aerospace industry, highly contributing to the success story of the company.
Yohann Bénard is Amazon’s Public Policy Director EU, digital. He started his career in blue chip French governmental bodies, serving as judge with the Council of State, then advisor to the Prime Minister and deputy chief of staff to Economy & Finance Minister Christine Lagarde. Before joining Amazon, Yohann held senior business and corporate roles in the telecom industry (Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia).
2023 Finalists
2023 Finalists
The ‘Innovation in Space Award‘ and ‘Sustainability in Space Award‘ celebrates European projects and organisations which are at the forefront of innovation and sustainable developments within the space and space technology sectors. Awarded on an annual basis and open to companies and projects of all kinds, the award seeks to recognise the contribution and impact that an organisation or project has had on the space industry and on society more broadly.
The winner of the awards was selected by a panel of expert judges (including representatives from the European Commission, ESA and leading space and satellites trade associations), with participants at The European Space Forum also getting a say through an audience vote. Nominees were judged on the unique and innovative nature of their service offerings, but also on the impact that they have made on the sector and broader society, their long-term feasibility and scalability; and the potential that they may have for inspiring future actors within the sector.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
On 16 October 2020, Rodrigo da Costa took up his duties as Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), formerly the European GNSS Agency (GSA). Prior to this, he was the Galileo Services Programme Manager from March 2017.
EUSPA is an Agency of dedicated EU professionals working for a stronger, more competitive and united European Space Programme, creating synergies between satellite navigation (EGNOS & Galileo), Earth Observation (Copernicus) and secure telecommunications (GOVSATCOM). EUSPA designs and delivers user-centered services working together with the European Commission and a wide range of national, European and international stakeholders, industries and user communities. The EU Space Programme is both a resource and a springboard for the European economy, competitiveness and sustainability.
Before joining EUSPA, Rodrigo da Costa held several senior project management, business development, and institutional key account management positions in the space industry, in the areas of human space flight, exploration, launchers and R&D.
Rodrigo da Costa holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the “Instituto Superior Tecnico” in Lisbon, a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Delft, and an MBA from the EuroMBA consortium of Business Schools.
Executive Director
European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
Isabella Poldrugo is Acting Head of Unit the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), responsible for EU Space Policy. Objective of the unit is to design and ensure a coherent and overarching EU Space policy, including regulatory aspects and to foster an innovative and globally competitive EU Space ecosystem.
Isabella joined the Commission in 2019, where she worked as policy officer in the Unit dealing with space policy in the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS).
Before, she spent ten years in the European Parliament as policy advisor to Members of the European Parliament, dealing with dossiers on energy, industry and trade. She served also as policy advisor to the Italian Minister of Defence and to the Undersecretary of State for Defence.
Acting Head of Unit, Space Policy, DG DEFIS
European Commission
Eva Berneke is Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat Group, the world’s first GEO-LEO integrated satellite operator formed through the merger of Eutelsat Communications, a global leader in geostationary (GEO) satellite operations, and OneWeb, a world-class low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network.
Eva Berneke joined Eutelsat on 1st January 2022 from KMD, Denmark’s leading IT and software company, specialising in IT solutions and services for the public and private sector, and now part of the NEC Group. During her tenure she oversaw the transformation of KMD from a mainly government service provider to a modern, digital company competing in both the public and private sectors.
Prior to that Eva held several senior positions at TDC, formerly TeleDanmark, the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, notably as Head of Strategy and Head of the company’s Wholesale Business division. Eva began her career at McKinsey where she developed a specialization in the TMT sectors and where she was based for 10 years at the group’s Paris offices.
Eva sits on the Boards of international groups Lego and Vestas Wind Systems as well as France’s Ecole Polytechnique. She is a graduate of Denmark’s Technical University, where she gained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Vice Chair
Global Satellite Operator's Association (GSOA)
CEO
Eutelsat Group
Benedikta von Seherr-Thoß is Managing Director for peace, security and defense at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Her responsibilities include space security, defence and diplomacy, the strategic planning of EU’s civilian and military missions and operations, cyber defence and diplomacy, maritime security, disarmament and non-proliferation, and counterterrorism, among others. Until October 2022, she served as Security Policy Director of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (MoD), dealing inter alia with bilateral relations, NATO, EU, nuclear policy as well as coordinating the MoD’s work on a new German National Security Strategy. From 2017, she was EU Representative of the German Ministry of Defence and Head of the EU Division in the Department for Security Policy for four years. She also had the ministerial lead on Germany’s EU Council Presidency in 2020.
Prior to that, she worked as Political Advisor to Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen for two years. From 2013-15, she was the first defence civilian to participate in the National General/Admiral Staff Officer Course of the Bundeswehr.
Before that, she spent more than two years working as Senior Political Advisor and then Deputy Director to the NATO Senior Civilian Representative at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul/Afghanistan. From 2007-11 she functioned as Deputy Head of the NATO Division in the Policy Planning & Advisory Staff to the Minister of Defence, focusing on the Alliance, transatlantic issues and nuclear policy. She started her career at NATO Headquarters in 2004, where she worked as Desk Officer in the Political Affairs & Security Policy Division. Benedikta studied Modern History at the University of Oxford, from where she graduated with a Masters and a PhD.
Managing Director for Common Security and Defence Policy
European External Action Service (EEAS)
Julie Kearney is the first Chief of the Space Bureau at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Launched in April 2023, the Space Bureau plays a key role in advancing the Commission’s Space Innovation Agenda to meet the needs of the next generation Space Age. As a globally-recognized leader/lawyer/board member in the technology and telecommunications field, Julie has been working for more than 25 years with governments, industry, and the public sector around the world to promote legal and regulatory frameworks and policies that enable life-changing technologies. Prior to the FCC, she held senior roles at Loon (an Alphabet company), Twilio Inc., the Consumer Technology Association, National Public Radio, MCI, and private legal practice. She earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.
Chief, Space Bureau
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
A Danish national and mechanical engineer, Toni Tolker-Nielsen began his career with APV ANHYDRO in Copenhagen in 1983 before taking a role at CERN in Geneva.
He joined ESA in 1987 – initially working on pointing and tracking systems for laser communication systems – and in 2003 moved to what was then known as the Launchers Directorate, with responsibility for the return-to-flight programme for Ariane 5 ECA (Evolution Cryotechnique type A) after its launch failure in December 2002.
Mr Tolker-Nielsen went on to oversee significant changes to the organisation of the European launcher industry initiated in the wake of the ECA failure – changes which helped deliver the very successful Ariane 5 programme which ended in July 2023.
He was then appointed ESA Inspector General – an Executive Board position with the duty to guarantee technical and managerial excellence across ESA. Mr Tolker-Nielsen later headed Earth Observation projects and acted as Director of Earth Observation Programmes from 2021, when Josef Aschbacher took up duty as ESA Director General.
Acting Director of Space Transportation
European Space Agency (ESA)
Phil Evans became EUMETSAT’s fifth Director-General on 1 January 2021. Phil took over leadership of the organisation at an exciting and challenging time. Exciting, because the organisation will deploy the first of its next-generation geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite systems from 2022. Challenging, due to the complexity of these systems and the global coronavirus pandemic’s impact on working conditions.
Phil brings to the role the experience gained from his long career in senior management positions at the UK Met Office and a background in remote sensing and satellite instrumentation. He also has a strong commitment to collaboration with partners around the globe.
He brought to the position a deep understanding of EUMETSAT’s culture and values, having led the UK’s delegation on the organisation’s Council from 2018 to 2020.
Starting at the Met Office in 1988, Phil rose to become Chief Operating Officer from 2017 to 2020. In this role, he was responsible for the organisation’s operational forecasting, observation development and infrastructure and international relations, as well as organisation-wide operational delivery, resilience and security.
Other positions Phil held at the Met Office included Director of Government Business, Chief Advisor to Government, Head of Secretariat and Managing Director of Commercial Business. As Director Government Business, he was responsible for Met Office services to Government and industry related to climate research, weather forecasting, defence, international aid and UK warnings.
Phil started at the Met Office in scientific and technical roles related to remote sensing. This work involved satellite data retrieval, instrument specification and design.
After leaving the Met Office and before joining EUMETSAT, Phil was Director of Physics Programmes at the Institute of Physics, in 2020. There, he was a member of the Executive Board and Board of Trustees. He was responsible for education improvement and physics innovation programmes, equality, inclusion and diversity programmes for the physics community and the Enterprise Programme Office.
He has an Honours degree in Physics from Birmingham University.
Director-General
EUMETSAT
Christophe Grudler is a French Member of the European Parliament (MEP),member of the Renew Europe group.
Historian and journalist by training, his political commitment started at an early stage of his career. He is particularly involved at the local level in his hometown, Belfort, where he has been elected as a local representative several times.
Within the European Parliament, he is Vice-Coordinator of the ITRE Committee (Industry, research and energy) for the Renew Europe group. He is also a member of the Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Security and Defence (SEDE) committees. Furthermore, he is Vice President of the Sky & Space Intergroup of the European Parliament.
MEP Grudler is particularly involved on energy and industry related topics, as well as on space and defence policies. He has been appointed as rapporteur for the European Parliament on the Initiative report on Energy System Integration and recently on the future European secure connectivity. He is also shadow rapporteur for his group on the European Industrial Strategy, the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and on the European Space Programme.
Member & Rapporteur on the EU Secure Connectivity Initiative
European Parliament
Olivier has a long-standing experience and a strong network in the European space policy sector, at the crossroads of the private and the public sector.
He has been part of the Belgian delegation to the ESA Council and also advising the Belgian Permanent Representation on space matters, under the authority of E. Beka, High representative of Belgium for space policy. Olivier then moved to Eurospace, as Head of the Brussels Office until 2014, when he has been hired by Thales Alenia Space as director for EU affairs.
Secretary General
Eurospace
In 2016, Alexander founded the company ENPULSION, which quickly established itself as an industry standard in the field of electric propulsion systems for SmallSats. He started his career in the space business with Beyond Gravity, formerly known as RUAG Space, working in Thermal Hardware and later in Mechanical Engineering on projects like Sentinel or Bepi Colombo. He then joined the Austrian Institute of Technology and became the Team Leader for Electric Propulsion Systems. In 2013, he became Department Head shortly after it was moved to FOTEC, the research subsidiary of the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences and doubled its size. His personal expertise covers hydrogen-based energy systems, as well as electric propulsion technologies. After graduating from the Technical University of Vienna with a Dpl.Ing. (MSc) in Physics, he started a PhD programme at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), then followed his supervisor to the Technical University of Dresden to complete the programme.
CEO & Founder
Enpulsion
Dr Andrew Williams is responsible for external relations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) – an intergovernmental organisation of 16 Member States that constructs and operates world-leading astronomical facilities and fosters international cooperation in science. Dr Williams supports strategic relationships with current and future Member States, the EU, UN COPUOS, and international organisations such as ESA and CERN. Additionally, Dr Williams is co-lead of the Policy Hub of the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Skies from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS), where he works to raise awareness of dark and quiet skies with space policymakers and coordinate policy studies and advocacy with the global astronomy community.
External Relations Officer, Executive Office of the Director General
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Chiara Manfletti is the CEO at Neuraspace and the Professor of Space Propulsion and Mobility at the Technical University of Munich. At the early stage of her career, she worked for the German Aerospace Center, DLR, as a research engineer in the field of liquid rocket propulsion and later joined the European Space Agency (ESA) where she was the Head of Policy and Programmes Coordination department Programme and Advisor to the Director General at the agency’s headquarters in Paris.
Chiara was nominated as the first President of the then-founded Portuguese national space agency, Portugal Space, and within one-and-half years set up the space agency from scratch as a modern space agency and established a new space implementation strategy for Portugal working with partners within and outside of the country.
She is bestowed with the title of the “Mother of the Space Safety and Security Programmatic Pillar of ESA” and the “Creator of EuRoC”. Chiara has a Doctorate (Dr. -Ing) degree in Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, a Master’s Degree in Space Studies (MSS) from International Space University (ISU), Strasbourg, France and holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London, UK. She also holds a master’s in history from the UK Open University (2013).
Chiara Manfletti has dual Italian and German nationality and loves hiking high mountains, photography, beekeeping, ornithology and constructing IoT devices. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
CEO
Neuraspace
Enrique Fraga holds a degree in Mathematical Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and has completed a Business Management program at IESE Business School.
He began his professional career in 1997 at the Unión Fenosa group, where he performed software development work and process consulting in its Cash Management area. During 2001 and 2002 he worked in the telecommunications industry, performing analytical and software architecture work on projects for the companies Amena and Madritel.
He joined GMV in 2002, initially working as a project engineer in the control centers area, then later as a project manager. In 2006, he was appointed as head of the Eutelsat division within the control centers unit, and two years later the entire control centers area for commercial satellite operators became part of the division he supervised. This is an area where GMV has become the world’s leading provider of ground control systems for commercial telecommunications satellite operators.
In 2011, he was appointed as manager of GMV’s control centers and satellite mission planning unit, and in 2022 he was appointed as general manager of its new Earth Observation, Exploration, Science, Space Security, Telecommunications and Space Transport Systems sector, reporting directly to the group’s general manager. In this position, he leads a team of more than 900 engineers, who work at all of GMV’s international subsidiaries where space-related activities are performed.
General Manager
for Space Systems
GMV
Hamza Hameed is a Pakistani lawyer who works as a Senior Practice Manager for Access Partnership in Singapore. He is a member of the ITU Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board and served as the Chair of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) from 2022-2024. He supports governments and the private sector with policy, regulatory, and compliance-related matters in the space, satellite, and telecommunications industries. Prior to this, Hamza worked as part of the Secretariat of UNIDROIT in Rome. He led the effort towards establishing an international system of secured transactions law for the space sector, as well as advising governments on issues related to blockchain law and crypto law.
Hamza holds an LLM from the International Institute for Air and Space Law at Leiden University. He teaches spacecraft financing at various universities and is a member of the International Institute for Space Law (IISL).
Senior Manager Practice, Space & Policy
Access Partnership
Hermann Ludwig Moeller is the Director of European Space Policy Institute since September 2022. Prior to joining ESPI, he held leading positions at ESA in the creation of EU Copernicus and in the preparation of the EU Secure Connectivity initiative as Head of Telecommunications Strategy, Programme and Transformation Office and as Head of Copernicus Space Segment Office. In these functions, Mr. Moeller has been operating with high level leadership in a complex multi-stakeholder policy environment in public-private partnerships with industry, at EU level, with EUMETSAT and with national space agencies and delegations. Prior to that he held the ESA Douglas Marsh Fellow at NASA and contributed to the creation of the European Internet backbone. He acquired early professional experience at the European Patent Office and with Siemens.
Director
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Isabelle Mauro is Director General of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) that represents the interests of 29 global and regional satellite operators. She reports directly to their Chief Executives.
Under Isabelle’s leadership, GSOA and its member CEOs lead the effort to showcase the benefits of satellite communications for a more inclusive and secure society – vital to bridging the world’s digital divide, achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the 5G ecosystem.
Isabelle has 25 years experience in the Telecoms and Technology sector, starting at the GSMA, where she was responsible for government and international Affairs. In 2015 she moved to New York to join the World Economic Forum as Head of Information, Communications and Technology Industries, managing the portfolio for 60+ Tech companies globally and leading initiatives on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.
Isabelle is passionate about inclusion and sustainability. She is Chair of the High-Level Advisory Board of the DigitalGoesGreen Foundation. She also sits on the Advisory Board of Women in Tech and is a member of the UNESCO Advisory Group for the Declaration on Connectivity for Education.
Isabelle holds an MSc in European Politics and Policy from the London School of Economics. She is fluent in French, English, Italian and Spanish.
Director General
Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA)
Jeremy Wilks reports on science and technology for Euronews.
Jeremy covers everything from climate change and the environment, to the energy transition and healthcare innovation. He presents the award-winning Climate Now series and hosts the Ocean Calls podcast.
He moderates at major events such as COP27, European Space Conference, and WebSummit. He has interviewed hundreds of leading scientists, and well-known figures such as Bill Gates, Ursula von der Leyen and Thomas Pesquet.
Jeremy joined Euronews in September 2001, acting first as news reporter and later as business editor.
Prior to Euronews, Jeremy worked for several media outlets in the United Kingdom, including ITN, Essex Radio, and Millennium Radio.
Jeremy holds a B.A. in History and Literature and an M.A. in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick, UK. Jeremy is a native English speaker with fluent French.
Science Reporter
Euronews
Jordi Casanova Tormo has more than ten years experience in competition and regulatory economics. He has worked in private practice and government organisations at national and European level. Jordi’s areas of expertise span from industrial organisation, regulatory economics, corporate finance, statistical analysis and international relations. He has experience in a wide range of sectors, including technology, telecommunications and media, airports and aviation, energy, financial and retail sectors.
Head EUPP - Ads,
Telecom & Space
Amazon
Dr Kamila Kloc joined the European Commission in December 2004. In 2019, she held a position of a Head of Unit Markets in Directorate B Electronic Communications Networks and Services of Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology.
Previously, she served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for Vice President Ansip responsible for Digital Single Market (DSM). Prior to joining the Cabinet, she worked at Directorate General for Energy, coordinating exemptions from regulatory access rules for gas pipelines.
During the Polish Presidency in 2011 she was seconded by the Commission to the President’s office of the Polish Energy Regulatory Authority. Earlier, she worked for 5 years at the Directorate General for Competition dealing with merger and antitrust cases. Prior to joining the Commission, she was emloyed at the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection in Poland as Adviser to the President.
Kamila Kloc started her professional career in academia and taught at Warsaw School of Economics as Assistant Professor. She has written her PhD on the role of competition policy in the public utilities sector with a special emphasis on telecommunications. She was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California in Berkeley and a Chevening fellow at Oxford University.
Director, Digital Decade & Connectivity, DG CONNECT
European Commission
Koen Willems is the Vice President European Union Programs and Government Relations at ST Engineering iDirect, where he defines and develops the global strategy for the government and defense market.
Before joining ST Engineering iDirect in 2008, he was Product Marketing Manager for Europe at the electronics giant TOSHIBA.
Willems has more than 25 years’ experience working in the technology industry. His expertise in the government and defense satellite market has grown through his involvement in different large (EU) programs, as well as frequent interactions with the end-user community and a range of topic-related degrees such as the ‘High Studies in Security and Defence’ degree at the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence; the ‘European Session for Armament Officials’ degree at the French National Institute of Higher Defense; and the ‘European Advanced Strategy Course on Security and Defense’ degree at the Egmont Institute, IHEDN and BAKS.
Willems has a master’s in English and Scandinavian Languages from Ghent University and a master’s in Marketing Strategy and Management from Vlekho Business School.
Vice President, EU Programs & Government Relations
ST Engineering iDirect (Europe)
Kristina Nikolaus is the CEO and Co-Founder of OKAPI:Orbits, with work experience within Daimler AG and Siemens AG, passionate about business model design, strategic marketing & sales and all kind of data analysis.
Kristina was selected as one of FORBES’ 30 under 30 leading professionals and is one of the 50 most influential women in Business by Handelsblatt.
CEO and Co-Founder
OKAPI:Orbits
Lea advises firms on strategy, policy, and regulatory affairs in the space, spectrum, and defence ecosystems. She is also Vice Chair for the Security, Defence and Space Committee at AmCham EU. She founded and led the APCO Worldwide Space and Defence Practice, and prior was a space consultant at PwC, working on projects for EU institutions, ESA, and private aerospace and defence companies. Lea has experience in strategic advisory, management consulting, and market analyses, including a socio-economic impact assessment of European launchers and internal strategy on the European defence industry and space militarisation. She holds degrees from the University of Kent and Sciences Po Paris, speaks multiple languages, and has lived in nine countries.
Manager, New Business, Space and Spectrum
Access Partnership
Loïs Miraux is a Space Engineering / General Engineering dual-degree graduate that converted to Environmental Science.
In addition to scientific space missions expanding our knowledge of the Universe, the insights from Earth observation satellites are critical to better understanding, mitigating, and adapting to global environmental change. The long-term sustainability of space activities is therefore of great importance and must be guaranteed.
However, the space industry is increasingly contributing to fueling environmental crises:
– Through its own impacts (that are growing exponentially).
– Through some of its applications (that are growing exponentially).
– By diffusing imaginaries of the future that are incompatible with our current ecological predicament.
As an independent researcher, Loïs Miraux has addressed different angles of the topic, by evaluating the environmental impacts of present and future space activities, questioning the role of space applications in addressing environmental issues, exploring their vulnerabilities to global change and systemic risks, and challenging common narratives of the future of humanity in space. In the process, he has developed expertise in Life Cycle Assessment & Eco-design of space systems, and participated in these types of analyses at CNES and in the industry.
Space Sustainability Expert
Luciana Camargos is the GSMA’s Head of Spectrum. She directs the GSMA’s range of advocacy issues on public policy relating to spectrum with national governments and multilateral organisations.
Luciana’s career began with Brazilian regulator Anatel where she worked as part of the board advisory team. She joined the GSMA in 2012, where she has continued to be active in shaping the future of mobile services at international fora such as the ITU, CITEL and other multilateral organisations.
She has chaired regulatory groups charged with developing communications regulation at the ITU and in regional organisations. She is an active supporter of the role of women in technology and is a former chair of the ITU’s Network of Women.
Luciana earned an MBA in telecommunications from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, and a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Brasilia.
Head of Spectrum
GSMA
Marjolijn van Deelen assumed the position of EU Special Envoy for Space in February 2024 following 3,5 years of executing the function of EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
Her primary mission is to represent the EU in multilateral fora dedicated to space with a focus on promoting responsible behaviour in space. To that end, she engages with third States through dialogue and consultations. The Special Envoy also has operational responsibilities as to the response to possible threats to or through the systems and services deriving from the EU Space Programme as well as concerning the EU Satellite Centre. She cooperates with European Commission services and contributes to the development of the security aspects of the EU Space Programme as well as all other related matters.
Marjolijn van Deelen is a career diplomat of the Netherlands. Before joining the EU External Action Service (EEAS), she headed the Non-proliferation, Disarmament and Nuclear Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands with the title of Ambassador. She held several posts abroad (to the international organisations in Vienna, at the Dutch Embassies in Bucharest and San Jose), as well as positions in The Hague (Europe Division, Middle East Division, UN Division, Development Assistance).
Ms. Van Deelen holds a Masters in Geophysics from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, as well as a BA in Economics from the American University in Washington DC.
EU Special Envoy for Space / Head of Division for Space
European External Action Service (EEAS)
Mr Mauro Facchini is Head of the Unit for Earth Observation in the European Commission – Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS).
Mauro Facchini is Italian and has an engineering background with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Before joining the European Commission he has worked in Italy, UK and Switzerland, mostly in the academic and research environment.
He joined the European Commission in 2002, initially as supervisor of research projects. Then he has been involved in Space aspects and participated to the definition of the European Space Policy from its early days in concluding agreements with ESA and in drafting and including article 189 (EU Space Competence) in the Lisbon Treaty.
He has been Head of the Space Research Unit for the EU financing of space activities and then Head for the development and implementation of the European Earth observation programme initially known as GMES and later Copernicus. He is currently the Head of Unit in charge for Earth Observation at the European Commission.
Head of Unit, Earth Observation, DG DEFIS
European Commission
Nicolaus Hanowski holds a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences. He started as a researcher in the US and then transferred to Mission Operations at the German Space Operations Centre. In 2009 he joined ESA and became responsible for the development of Science Ground Segments for missions, such Rosetta, Gaia, JWST, Solar Orbiter and Euclid in the Science Directorate. Since 2014 he is responsible for the Operations and Ground Segments of the ESA Earth Observation Missions and the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and the corresponding data management aspects at ESA. He is coordinating the Copernicus Long Term Scenario of Copernicus and the Destination Earth activities within ESA.
Head of Mission Management & Ground Segments Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes
European Space Agency (ESA)
Pascale Ultré-Guérard has been appointed Deputy Director for Programs at the Strategy Directorate of CNES in January 2022. She manages 50 experts working in 5 departments covering all domains of activity at CNES: access to space, Earth observation and sciences, universe science and exploration, safety and defence, telecommunication, navigation, facilities plus 2 transverse departments for programming and science coordination.
Before that she spent more than one year at the Ministry of higher education, research and innovation as Head of Space and Defence Department.
From 2017 to 2020, she was deputy Director for Programming, International affairs and Quality.
Before that, she spent 11 years as Head of Earth Observation Program and team at the Strategy and Programs Directorate of CNES and was CEOS (Committee of Earth Observation Satellites) SIT (Strategic Implementation Team) chair from 2014 to 2015.
She joined Cnes in 1999 as Program manager in Solid Earth Sciences.
Pascale Ultré-Guérard has a PhD in geomagnetic field modeling delivered by IPGP (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris).
Strategy Deputy Director
CNES
Dr. Rolf Kozlowski is the CEO of DLR GfR mbH, a leading company specializing in satellite navigation and operating the Galileo Control Center in Oberpfaffenhofen on behalf of the European Commission.
Since 2020, Dr. Rolf Kozlowski has significantly enriched DLR GfR mbH with his dedication and extensive experience in the aerospace industry, highly contributing to the success story of the company.
Managing Director
DLR GfR
Sara Dalledonne is a Research Fellow with the Lead on Regulatory Affairs at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), and she is the ESPI representative in Brussels. She is the Space Law expert reference at the University of Bologna in Italy, and a Member of the Support Committee for the Aviation & Space Journal (ASJ). She is also the Lead for Networking & Events at Women in Aerospace Europe (WIA-E) in Austria. Prior to joining ESPI, she worked as Research Assistant at the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University. She holds an L.L.M. in Air and Space Law from the McGill University, an L.L.M. in International Trade Law from ITCILO (University of Turin) and a 5-year Law degree from the University of Bologna. She also completed an ITU Training Course in Satellite Coordination Procedures and Filings.
Research Fellow and Lead on Regulatory Affairs
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Maj. Gen. Cont was appointed Capability, Armament and Planning Director at the European Defence Agency on 1st April 2022. Born in Trento – Italy, on 3 Sept. 1963, he was commissioned in Sept. 1984 after graduating from the Italian Air Force Academy. His operational assignments include both Italy and the U.S., where he led different Commands in Fighter and Fighter Training Squadrons. He was appointed as the 61st FTW’S Commander and Lecce AFB Commander from 2006 to 2008. Maj. Gen. CONT is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours; a distinguished graduate of pilot training, and he has served as an instructor pilot and check pilot at the Italian Weapon Instructor School.
Prior to his current assignment and since August 2018, he served as Defense and Defense Cooperation Attaché in Washington (D.C.) As the highest-ranking representative of the Italian Defense accredited to the United States, Mexico, and Canada, his primary duties were to promote bilateral military relations and initiatives and enhance cooperation in research and development of security and defense programs. He was also responsible for overseeing the procurement process in the United States and supporting joint venture defense partnerships.
Between 2013 and 2018, he served as Head of the Political Military Office in the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense. As a MoD advisor, he supported the decision making process, on a political level, for defense industrial policy, international relations and long-term defense strategic evolution. Between 2000 and 2011, he served in the Defense General Staff as the Chief of the Strategic Planning and Capability Development Office and later as the Chief of the Strategic Affairs Office. His main duties included the development and supervision of the national “Long Term Capabilities Planning,” the national contribution to NATO and EU’s Force and Capabilities Planning, the implementation of the National Security and Defense Policy, and formulating strategic assessments and directives in crisis management. From 2012 to 2013, he was Deputy Chief o f t h e Airspace Programs Division of the Italian Air Force Staff.
Gen. CONT holds “Aeronautical Sciences” and “Political and Military Sciences” Degrees from Federico II University in Naples, and Midwestern State University (USA). He has a Masters in “International and Military’s Strategic Studies (Rome), “Public Management” (MSU-USA) and “National Security Strategy” (National Defense University-USA). He achieved the title of “doctor” in “International and Diplomatic Sciences” from the University of Trieste.
In addition to the required pilot and instructor’s professional training and education, Maj. Gen. CONT has attended several post- graduate courses. These courses include the “Total Quality Program Leader,” the “Civ-Mil Cooperation Course,” and the “Complex Organizations Reengineering Course.” He also specialized in “Defense Resources Management” (Naval Post Graduate School – Monterrey) and in Middle East Studies at the “Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies” (Washington).
From 2015 to 2018 he taught “military politics and strategy” at the CASD and the LUISS university in Rome. He is the author of several publications related to Geopolitics, Geostrategy and Strategic Planning. His latest publication is “Gé-Politiké,” a manual for geopolitical scholars.
He is married to Laura Fabrizi and has a daughter named Giulia Diane.
Director, Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP)
European Defence Agency (EDA)
Yohann Bénard is Amazon’s Public Policy Director EU, digital.
He started his career in blue chip French governmental bodies, serving as judge with the Council of State, then advisor to the Prime Minister and deputy chief of staff to Economy & Finance Minister Christine Lagarde. Before joining Amazon, Yohann held senior business and corporate roles in the telecom industry (Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia).
Public Policy Director,
EU Digital & France
Amazon
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 June 2023 the appointment of Aarti Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
She will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to the Chief, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, Niklas Hedman, who will continue to serve as Acting Director of UNOOSA until Ms. Holla-Maini assumes this position.
UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Ms. Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space; prior to which she spent over 18 years as Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association.
Ms. Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Director
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
We have various speaking, sponsor, and wider visibility opportunities available at the event. Should you be interested in becoming involved at the European Space Forum please contact Tom Chinnock on tom.chinnock@forum-europe.com / +44 (0) 7785 795 015.
Exclusive speaking positions | Your organisation can contribute to the discussion.
Engaging and interactive format | Engage in a fully immersive and interactive debate with decision makers, businesses and policymakers.
EU and Global Outreach | Convey your message to a broad and international audience.
Networking opportunities | Networking opportunities will be available to all in person attendees throughout the day.
Visibility opportunities | Ensure maximum visibility through branding in the room, on the event website and marketing activities.
Exhibition and demos area | Showcase your products and solutions or share a position paper with the audience at onsite exhibition booths.
Please kindly note that this is a fully in-person event, taking place at the Hotel nhow Brussels Bloom. There will be no virtual element to this event, so please only register if you are able to physically participate in Brussels.
This is a paid event, please see registration fees for each organisation type in the table below.
***Early Bird prices will apply until midnight on 13 May, 2024***
Standard
Applies to: Corporate, Trade Association, Law Firm/Public affairs firm
€145
€195
Reduced
Applies to: NGO/Not for profit
€120
€160
Academic / Student
Applies to: Academic / Student
€105
€120
Free
Applies to: National Government / Regulator & Diplomatic Mission to the EU, European Commission / Parliament / Council, EU Permanent Representatives, National Space Agencies, Accredited Journalists
FREE
FREE
* Please note that fees do not include Belgian VAT @ 21%, and this amount will be added to the total price when you are invoiced.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA is an international organisation with 22 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. ESA’s 22 Member States are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania are Associate Members. Canada takes part in some projects under a cooperation agreement. Five other EU states have Cooperation Agreements with ESA: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta.
Founded in 2003, European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) is Europe’s independent think tank for space based in Vienna, Austria – the world’s capital of space diplomacy. Working in non-profit capacity, ESPI promotes European space policy on a global level, facilitates an active forum for the analysis and discussion of European needs, capabilities, and long-term prospects in space activities, and makes proposals and recommendations to European decision-makers. In line with its policy vision, ESPI2040: Space for Prosperity, Peace and Future Generations, ESPI advocates for a strong Europe as a partner to the world.
Our mission is to enable all countries to benefit from technology on fair terms.
Access Partnership is the world’s leading public policy firm dedicated to opening markets for technology.
We shape national, regional and international policies to ensure a fair, long-lasting environment for technology that drives growth. Our teams in six offices across the globe uniquely mix policy and technical expertise to drive outcomes for clients operating at the intersection of technology, data and connectivity.
We’ve supported company growth, governmental reform and multilateral change for more than 20 years, giving clients a clear view of national regulatory landscapes, laws and policy trends, along with the means to access and influence them.
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. We are driven by the excitement of building technologies, inventing products, and providing services that change lives. We embrace new ways of doing things, make decisions quickly, and are not afraid to fail. We have the scope and capabilities of a large company, and the spirit and heart of a small one.
Together, Amazonians research and develop new technologies from Amazon Web Services to Alexa on behalf of our customers: shoppers, sellers, content creators, and developers around the world.
Our mission is to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. Our actions, goals, projects, programs, and inventions begin and end with the customer top of mind.
You’ll also hear us say that at Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” What do we mean? That our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and focus on delighting our customers.
Comarch Telecommunications has been a trusted solution provider for the satellite operator market since over 20 years. Over the years, our solutions have evolved to meet the changing needs of the satellite and telecommunications industries. Industry leaders such as ThalesAlenia Space, Viasat, and Siminn have entrusted Comarch to understand their requirements and deliver state-of-the-art solutions, confirming our commitment to excellence and innovation. Comarch’s approach is to deliver a network-agnostic solution, and we do not limit ourselves to servicing a specific supplier. Instead, we offer solutions that cover multiple network hardware suppliers, providing you with the flexibility to plan, implement, and control satellite network (both terrestrial and space ones).
We offer a wide range of solutions designed to manage every aspect of the network, services, billing, and customer management. Whether you are a satellite operator or a terrestrial operator utilizing satellite services, such as cable companies, data providers, or SAT Internet providers, we have the expertise and tools to optimize your operations. We have already supported our partners in delivering services operating in geostationary and mid-earth orbit, and we know that the next satellite revolution will come with low-earth orbit constellations, opening a whole new range of opportunities. Our BSS and OSS solutions is ready to accompany you in the new opening markets like 5G direct to cell or low-earth orbit high-speed internet connectivity.
Navigating the Future.
Providing reliable, safe and secure space services is our daily business – and our passion. We are responsible for managing Europe´s biggest spacecraft constellation: the European Satellite Navigation System GALILEO. On behalf of the European Commission we operate from our headquarters at the Galileo Control Center (GCC-D) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
The Sky is not the Limit.
Thanks to the technical infrastructure we have implemented, we ensure 99,99% service availability. DLR GfR’s constellation operations services at GCC-D comprise 24/7 routine operations and maintenance the Galileo satellites and of the related ground segment infrastructure.
From GCC-D we organise the operation of the globally distributed Galileo infrastructure, both on-ground and in-orbit, throughout all mission phases. This includes mission planning and flight dynamics services, efficient team training and management, reliable configuration monitoring and global service-level tracking and monitoring.
International and diverse.
With our international team of more than 270 experts, we offer our customers excellent service and navigate the Galileo project with foresight into the future.
ENPULSION is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric propulsion systems for nano- and microsatellites. The company is based in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, and has a business development office in the USA. Its products are based on the company’s proprietary Field-Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) technology, behind which are more than 30 years of research and development work in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Research Facility FOTEC.
In its own semi-automated production facility ENPULSION manufactures the ENPULSION MICRO and the ENPULSION NANO Thruster (formerly IFM NANO) families – the only compact, scalable, and modular electric propulsion systems worldwide. The ENPULSION NANO Thruster became the first European electric propulsion thruster to fly on a constellation of satellites.
As of May 2023, there are more than 170+ ENPULSION active thrusters in space with more than 300 units delivered to customers. The company is ISO 9001:2015 quality certified for the development, testing, serial production, and distribution of space propulsion systems.
EUMETSAT is the European operational satellite agency for monitoring weather, climate and the environment. We operate a system of meteorological satellites that observe the atmosphere and ocean and land surfaces – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This data is supplied to the National Meteorological Services of the organisation’s member and cooperating states in Europe, as well as other users worldwide. The service provided by EUMETSAT helps to enhance and safeguard the daily lives of European citizens. They aid meteorologists in identifying and monitoring the development of potentially dangerous weather situations and in issuing timely forecasts and warnings to emergency services and local authorities, helping to mitigate the effects of severe weather and protecting human life and property. This information is also critical to the safety of air travel, shipping and road traffic, and to the daily business of farming, construction and many other industries.
Eutelsat Group is a global leader in satellite communications, delivering connectivity and broadcast services worldwide. It’s the first fully integrated GEO-LEO satellite operator with a fleet of 37 Geostationary satellites and a Low Orbit earth constellation of more than 600 satellites. 🛰
Via our global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, we enable clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location.
We are driven by the ambition to extend the benefits of digital services to users on land, at sea and in-flight.
We are a fast-growing international New Space company with employees from over 45 countries united by the same values and vision. ICEYE delivers unmatched persistent monitoring capabilities for any location on earth. Owning the world’s largest synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, we enable objective, data-driven decisions for customers in sectors such as insurance, natural catastrophe response and recovery, security, maritime monitoring and finance. Our data can be collected day or night, and even through cloud cover. We constantly search for new talent to push the technology limits and keep making impossible possible. See our open positions and join us on this journey!
Neuraspace is a pioneer company in the use of AI/ML to fight Space Debris and collisions that can destroy satellites, enabling satellite operators to detect up to 50% more high-risk collisions that have been so far undetected and reducing the need for human intervention up to 2/3.
Neuraspace allows satellite operators to reduce operational manpower efforts, in particular for large constellations. The number of false alerts will be fewer, and the time between close approach and manoeuvre decision will be less. Thus, you will save on fuel and time, while collisions and the menace of space debris will be minimized.
Neuraspace provides an end-to-end solution centered around: (1) Data Fusion; (2) AI and Machine Learning; and (3) Manoeuvring Automation.
To contribute to the evolution of spacecraft operations, Neuraspace aims to solve the space debris problem by protecting satellites operators from the losses caused by collisions, liabilities from leaving debris in orbit and allowing insurance companies to better price the risk that each satellite poses.
The continuous increase in space traffic and debris in the last years lead to a significant increase in the amount of information related to conjunction events. This situation poses a very complex challenge to space operators as the conjunction events need a careful “manual” analysis, which is time, cost and effort consuming. AI (specifically ML) algorithms represent an essential technique in the automation of this process, mainly due to its ability to handle big amounts of data.
By using a data driven approach with state of the art Machine Learning techniques, Neuraspace is able to outperform the current methods, while automating the process of collision risk avoidance. Neuraspace enables the timely detection of up to 33% more high-risk collisions that have been so far undetected, thus securing space operations.
OKAPI:Orbits is an innovative German SaaS startup dedicated to making space travel more sustainable through Collision Avoidance Software for satellites. The OKAPI:Orbits team envisions a safe and sustainable space environment, truly accessible to everyone. We are laser-focused on creating innovative and efficient products to enable safe and secure satellite operations and seamless ground segment integration. As experts in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST), we offer platform services based on standardized interfaces with a wide range of flexible modules to meet the specific needs of our customers.
Euronews is an international news media, providing news with a European perspective to a worldwide audience in 17 languages, both on TV and digital platforms. It reaches over 400 million TV homes across in 160 countries, including 68% of homes in the European Union + the United Kingdom. Every month, Euronews’ website and app attract an average of 25 million unique visitors and over 22 million people follow Euronews on social media platforms.
Since its creation in Lyon (France) in 1993, Euronews has always embraced the fundamental values of independence, impartiality and pluralism, with a resolutely European identity, which lie at the heart of Euronews’ editorial offer. Its mission is to empower people to form their own opinion, through offering a diversity of viewpoints: Euronews is “All Views”.
With a team of 400 journalists of more than 30 different nationalities, our 12 core editions cover European and world news 24/7 in Arabic, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish, with bureaus in Brussels, Athens and Budapest. Since 2018, five branded affiliates (Euronews Albania, Euronews Georgia, Euronews Serbia, Euronews Bulgaria and Euronews Romania) were launched, bringing the total number of languages covered by Euronews to 17.
Euronews’ unique multi-language news model enables Euronews to customise global news for local audiences.
Aside from round-the-clock news coverage, Euronews provide audiences with a diverse array of factual programming on current affairs, business, technology, science, climate, travel and culture. Four thematic digital and social destinations were launched in the last few years: Euronews Green, Euronews Travel, Euronews Next and Euronews Culture.
In 2016, Euronews launched its sister channel Africanews, the only international and independent news channel made for Africa, available both on TV and on digital platforms in French and in English.
dotSPACE is an expert centre focused on Earth Observation technology, collaborating with academia, industry, and government agencies to unlock the potential of space data and address critical challenges in public health, food security, smart cities, and agriculture. Their platform, www.groundstation.space, is one of Europe’s leading platforms for promoting the use of satellite data. The platform reaches various space and non-space audiences in Europe and beyond with news, updates and events around space data.
www.groundstation.space provides valuable information and support to potential users of satellite applications, facilitating knowledge transfer and fostering innovation in the field.
Eurospace is the professional association of the European space industry.
As such Eurospace is the reference body for consultation and dialogue within the industry. The main focus of Eurospace is space policy and strategy. The association regularly issues recommendations based on the identification of issues affecting industry as a whole. The association maintains a permanent policy, programmatic, and technology watch through the activities of its working groups and with the support of the Executive team. The knowledge and understanding gained are used to promote a more space conscious Europe.
Activities are carried out within ad hoc working groups. Working groups are composed and chaired by industry representatives. Coordination and support (minutes, invitation, supporting data and documents…) of working group activities is provided by Eurospace Executive.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA is an international organisation with 22 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.
ESA’s 22 Member States are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania are Associate Members. Canada takes part in some projects under a cooperation agreement.
Five other EU states have Cooperation Agreements with ESA: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta.
Our mission is to enable all countries to benefit from technology on fair terms.
Access Partnership is the world’s leading public policy firm dedicated to opening markets for technology.
We shape national, regional and international policies to ensure a fair, long-lasting environment for technology that drives growth. Our teams in six offices across the globe uniquely mix policy and technical expertise to drive outcomes for clients operating at the intersection of technology, data and connectivity.
We’ve supported company growth, governmental reform and multilateral change for more than 20 years, giving clients a clear view of national regulatory landscapes, laws and policy trends, along with the means to access and influence them.
Aerospacelab is a Belgian scale-up founded in 2018. We are set to enhance efficiency across markets through actionable and affordable geospatial intelligence. Our vertically integrated approach, expertise in upstream and downstream markets, and plans to build two satellite factories in Louvain-La-Neuve and Charleroi, pave the way to become the largest satellite manufacturer in Europe and a leader in satellite-based intelligence. At the moment Aerospacelab employs 140 full time employees, but due to its rapid growth more than 500 positions will open up in the coming years.
We create innovative, effective space and defence solutions and services for our customers, driving our industry forward. We focus on the people we work with and for.
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. We are driven by the excitement of building technologies, inventing products, and providing services that change lives. We embrace new ways of doing things, make decisions quickly, and are not afraid to fail. We have the scope and capabilities of a large company, and the spirit and heart of a small one.
Together, Amazonians research and develop new technologies from Amazon Web Services to Alexa on behalf of our customers: shoppers, sellers, content creators, and developers around the world.
Our mission is to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. Our actions, goals, projects, programs, and inventions begin and end with the customer top of mind.
You’ll also hear us say that at Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” What do we mean? That our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and focus on delighting our customers.
Astroscale is developing innovative and scalable solutions across the spectrum of on-orbit servicing, including life extension, in situ space situational awareness, end of life, and active debris removal, to create sustainable space systems and mitigate the growing and hazardous build-up of debris in space.
Astroscale is also defining business cases and working with government and commercial stakeholders to develop norms, regulations, and incentives for the responsible use of space.
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world. We are insights-driven and outcomes-based to help accelerate returns on your investments. Across 21 industries in 400 locations worldwide, we provide comprehensive, scalable and sustainable IT and business consulting services that are informed globally and delivered locally.
Navigating the Future.
Providing reliable, safe and secure space services is our daily business – and our passion. We are responsible for managing Europe´s biggest spacecraft constellation: the European Satellite Navigation System GALILEO. On behalf of the European Commission we operate from our headquarters at the Galileo Control Center (GCC-D) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
The Sky is not the Limit.
Thanks to the technical infrastructure we have implemented, we ensure 99,99% service availability. DLR GfR’s constellation operations services at GCC-D comprise 24/7 routine operations and maintenance the Galileo satellites and of the related ground segment infrastructure.
From GCC-D we organise the operation of the globally distributed Galileo infrastructure, both on-ground and in-orbit, throughout all mission phases. This includes mission planning and flight dynamics services, efficient team training and management, reliable configuration monitoring and global service-level tracking and monitoring.
International and diverse.
With our international team of more than 270 experts, we offer our customers excellent service and navigate the Galileo project with foresight into the future.
ENPULSION is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric propulsion systems for nano- and microsatellites. The company is based in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, and has a business development office in the USA. Its products are based on the company’s proprietary Field-Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) technology, behind which are more than 30 years of research and development work in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Research Facility FOTEC.
In its own semi-automated production facility ENPULSION manufactures the ENPULSION MICRO and the ENPULSION NANO Thruster (formerly IFM NANO) families – the only compact, scalable, and modular electric propulsion systems worldwide. The ENPULSION NANO Thruster became the first European electric propulsion thruster to fly on a constellation of satellites.
As of May 2023, there are more than 170+ ENPULSION active thrusters in space with more than 300 units delivered to customers. The company is ISO 9001:2015 quality certified for the development, testing, serial production, and distribution of space propulsion systems.
Indra is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers worldwide. It is a world-leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport and Defence markets, and a leading firm in Digital Transformation and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive range of proprietary products, with a high-value, end-to-end focus and with a high innovation component. In the 2022 financial year, Indra achieved revenue totaling €3.851 million, with almost 57,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.
Indra has a strong technological and engineering background and expertise with operations in the space sector for more than 30 years. Indra has played a relevant role in the development of major EU space programs, specifically focusing on the ground segment (command and control, security, antennas, communications, etc.), as the Copernicus Earth observation system and the Galileo global geo-positioning system. It has also deployed the ground segment of Paz, the Spanish Earth observation satellite, and, in partnership with ENAIRE, a company linked to the new space, it has launched Startical, which is working on the development of a constellation with more than 200 small satellites for providing air traffic management services around the globe.
Indra has developed the S3T Surveillance Radar. It is a ground-based radar, based in a close monostatic configuration, operating at L band and capable of providing positional information of orbital objects. The radar provides automatic surveillance and tracking of space objects in Low Earth Orbit (from 200 km to 2000 Km of orbit height above Earth). Currently operated by the Spanish Air and Space Force in the Space Surveillance Operations Center (COVE), it supplies daily data to the European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking Partnership (EU-SST) consortium network, to which it has contributed with a substantial increase in its capacity to detect and aware.
Neuraspace allows satellite operators to reduce operational manpower efforts, in particular for large constellations. The number of false alerts will be fewer, and the time between close approach and manoeuvre decision will be less. Thus, you will save on fuel and time, while collisions and the menace of space debris will be minimized.
Neuraspace provides an end-to-end solution centered around: (1) Data Fusion; (2) AI and Machine Learning; and (3) Manoeuvring Automation.
To contribute to the evolution of spacecraft operations, Neuraspace aims to solve the space debris problem by protecting satellites operators from the losses caused by collisions, liabilities from leaving debris in orbit and allowing insurance companies to better price the risk that each satellite poses.
The continuous increase in space traffic and debris in the last years lead to a significant increase in the amount of information related to conjunction events. This situation poses a very complex challenge to space operators as the conjunction events need a careful “manual” analysis, which is time, cost and effort consuming. AI (specifically ML) algorithms represent an essential technique in the automation of this process, mainly due to its ability to handle big amounts of data.
By using a data driven approach with state of the art Machine Learning techniques, Neuraspace is able to outperform the current methods, while automating the process of collision risk avoidance. Neuraspace enables the timely detection of up to 33% more high-risk collisions that have been so far undetected, thus securing space operations.
OHB SE is a German space and technology group and one of the leading independent forces in the European space industry. With many years of experience in the implementation of demanding projects, OHB SE is excellently positioned to face international competition and can offer its customers a broad portfolio of innovative products in its three business segments SPACE SYSTEMS, AEROSPACE and DIGITAL.
OKAPI:Orbits is an innovative German SaaS startup dedicated to making space travel more sustainable through Collision Avoidance Software for satellites. The OKAPI:Orbits team envisions a safe and sustainable space environment, truly accessible to everyone. We are laser-focused on creating innovative and efficient products to enable safe and secure satellite operations and seamless ground segment integration. As experts in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST), we offer platform services based on standardized interfaces with a wide range of flexible modules to meet the specific needs of our customers.
PLD SPACE – Opening Space for Everyone
We are an engineering, manufacturing and service company, with deep expertise in space launch technologies, and with the aim of becoming a leading player in the space launch services on the international market through an affordable, first-class and highly-flexible small satellite launch service experience. Our vision is to unleash the power of exploration and discovery to improve life down here on Earth.
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. With offices in 24 countries around the world, our mission shapes how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate and connect. Viasat is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connections to positively impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea, while building a sustainable future in space. On May 30, 2023, Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat, combining the teams, technologies and resources of the two companies to create a new global communications partner. Learn more at www.viasat.com, the Viasat News Room or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
dotSPACE is an expert centre focused on Earth Observation technology, collaborating with academia, industry, and government agencies to unlock the potential of space data and address critical challenges in public health, food security, smart cities, and agriculture. Their platform, www.groundstation.space, is one of Europe’s leading platforms for promoting the use of satellite data. The platform reaches various space and non-space audiences in Europe and beyond with news, updates and events around space data.
www.groundstation.space provides valuable information and support to potential users of satellite applications, facilitating knowledge transfer and fostering innovation in the field.
SpaceWatch.Global is a digital magazine and portal for those interested in space and the far-reaching impact that space developments have. While showcasing the technology that enables the industry to edge closer to the next frontier, SpaceWatch.Global also provides analysis, forecasts and insight into the geopolitical implications of space developments. From space policy, exploration and missions to space weapons and technology, we provide a complete perspective on the Middle East, Europe, Afrika, Asia-Pacific and Russia/CIS space sector. The team behind SpaceWatch.Global comprises a dynamic mix of space geeks, tech junkies, space policy experts, regional market specialists and passionate writers. We fully believe that space should be used for mankind; that it enables knowledge and enriches societies. SpaceWatch.Global GmbH, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. In the true journalistic spirit, neutrality, ethics and integrity are at our core. SpaceWatch.Global abides by the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics; we seek truth and report it.
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