OBSERVER: Commission participates in Danish Space Conference highlighting the EU’s growing ambitions in space

Under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the 2025 Space Conference in Aalborg brought together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and students to discuss Europe's priorities in space, defence, and innovation. The European Commission contributed across the programme, from the opening plenary to exchanges with university students and joint discussions with ESA and EUSPA on cooperation in space programmes. In this Observer, we look at some highlights from the conference.

The Space Conference 2025, held at Musikkens Hus in Aalborg from 20 to 21 October, was organised by Aalborg University and the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event brought together policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, and students to discuss how space supports Europe's economy, innovation, and security. Over two days of plenary and thematic sessions, participants explored Europe's strategic ambitions in space and the practical steps needed to strengthen competitiveness and resilience.

Setting the stage

EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius opened the conference with a keynote which linked Europe's space ambitions to defence readiness and industrial competitiveness. He recalled the Commission's proposals made earlier in the year: a Vision for the European Space Economy with forty actions, an EU Space Act to create a single market for space services, and a proposed fivefold increase in the next multiannual budget for defence and space to 131 billion euros. He placed these within the roadmap on defence readiness presented in Brussels the previous week, arguing that space capabilities are essential for Europe's security. "Without space, there will be no defence readiness," he said, emphasising the link between space infrastructure and Europe's defence ambitions.

Looking ahead, he announced the European Commission's plan to formally launch the European Space Shield next summer, which will be built with Member States and will build on national capacities and on flagship components of the EU Space Programme Galileo, Copernicus, and IRIS². He set out near-term service milestones, noting that GOVSATCOM is expected to start operating before the end of this year, that the Commission is accelerating work with industrial partners on IRIS², and that a Low Earth Orbit positioning, navigation and timing concept is in development to complement Galileo's existing services, alongside the declaration of operational availability of the encrypted Public Regulated Service later this year. He also outlined plans for an Earth Observation governmental service (EOGS) for geo-intelligence, with user requirements to be consolidated by November, security requirements early next year, and an operational deployment from 2028 in the next EU budgetary cycle, subject to agreement with Member States.

The Commissioner underlined the need for stronger space situational and domain awareness, in-space operations such as repair or refuel satellites. He closed his keynote with a call to guarantee European autonomous access to space, highlighting the ramp-up of Ariane 6 and Vega C and the importance of more frequent launches, and moving towards reusable systems so Europe can fully benefit from what he called a coming space revolution.

Policy dialogue and European cooperation

The keynote was followed by a moderated discussion with Christina Egelund, Denmark's Minister for Higher Education and Science, and Joachim Finkielman, Director of the DI Defence and Security Industries association, introduced by opening remarks from Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Prime Minister of Denmark and former NATO Secretary General. Rasmussen sketched three immediate challenges for Europe in space: low launcher competitiveness, private mega-constellations consuming scarce orbital resources, and an investment gap compared with the United States, before urging faster European action and clearer common standards.

The panel then turned to what a practical European response looks like. Commissioner Andrius Kubilius underlined the goal of the EU Space Act to cut fragmentation and set simple "rules of the road" in increasingly crowded orbits, while pointing to the need for market scale so companies can operate across borders. Egelund argued for sustained public commitment to unlock private capital, and for Danish efforts to strengthen the national ecosystem while staying anchored in a European framework. Finkielman called for clearer political ambition and fewer barriers for industry, noting the urgency of converting research into deployable solutions. The exchange highlighted a shared conviction that Europe's competitiveness in space will depend on strong policy direction, investment in skills, and the capacity to turn innovation into operational advantage.

Later, a session on European collaboration in space programmes brought together representatives of the European Commission, ESA, and EUSPA. Christophe Morand (European Commission), Laurent Jaffart (ESA), and Rodrigo da Costa (EUSPA) discussed how cooperation among the three institutions supports the EU's flagship services in navigation, Earth Observation, and secure connectivity. The discussion focused on maintaining continuity of operations while preparing for the next generation of systems, including IRIS² and the future evolution of Copernicus and Galileo. They emphasised that coordination between the Commission, ESA, and EUSPA remains central to ensuring reliability, user uptake, and resilience across the EU Space Programme.

Engaging with students

A highlight of the conference was an interactive dialogue between Commissioner Andrius Kubilius and more than a hundred university students as part of the EU Youth Policy Dialogues. The discussion centred on regulation and innovation, strategic autonomy, and the defence dimension of space. Opening the exchange, the Commissioner reflected on his background in physics and how science drives progress, before turning to the rapid evolution of the space sector. He spoke of the exponential rise in the number of satellites in orbit and the need for Europe to keep pace with global competitors. "If you ask Ukrainians how important Starlink is, you will hear a lot about that," he said, adding that Europe must not lag behind. The IRIS² programme, he continued, will deliver a secure satellite-communication system "better than Starlink", developed jointly with Member States and European industry.

Students asked how Europe can remain competitive while avoiding excessive regulation. On the forthcoming EU Space Act, the Commissioner said its purpose is to simplify the patchwork of national rules: "Now we have thirteen or fourteen different space acts made by different Member States. If you register yourself, for example, in Denmark, you will be registered all over Europe." The Act, he explained, would establish "rules of the road" for increasingly crowded orbits.

Questions on entrepreneurship and innovation prompted discussion on Europe's start-up culture. The Commissioner called for stronger venture capital and greater willingness to take risks, citing CASSINI as a key instrument supporting the new-space ecosystem, while noting the need for broader financial reform so European savings and pension funds invest more in domestic innovation.

He also addressed space security, referring to the Russian anti-satellite test before the invasion of Ukraine as a warning and stressing the need for rapid-launch capability to place satellites in orbit in crisis situations, as part of the effort to "defend our space systems" while using space to support defence. Concluding the session, he urged students to stay curious and adaptable in a field advancing faster than ever. "Space," he said, "is something like a new frontier for human civilisation."

Innovation, SMEs, and data in practice

The second day of the conference showcased how European initiatives are translating innovation into market opportunities. Sessions on Earth Observation and artificial intelligence featured contributions from ECMWF and EUSPA, highlighting how Copernicus data and EU-funded research under Horizon Europe are advancing climate and environmental applications.

Fiammetta Diani, Head of Market, Downstream and Innovation at EUSPA, presented the CASSINI initiative, describing it as "Europe's umbrella for space entrepreneurship." She outlined how CASSINI brings together funding instruments, competitions, and acceleration activities to help start-ups move from early-stage ideas to commercial success. One notable outcome of CASSINI has been the significant financial support for Danish companies, which secured nearly €50 million through challenges, competitions, and matchmaking opportunities, and several of them attended the conference to share their experiences and successes. Diani underlined the importance of connecting national and regional innovation clusters, such as Space Connect North, so that "ideas can scale beyond national borders."

On secure connectivity, speakers examined progress on IRIS² and its links to industrial participation. Discussions also touched on dual-use needs and how these intersect with research, procurement, and the wider supply chain, reflecting Europe's drive to align innovation with resilience and strategic autonomy.

An exhibition of EU space achievements

Alongside the sessions, an EU exhibition at Musikkens Hus introduced visitors to the components of the EU Space Programme. Inside, displays highlighted recent milestones such as the first images from the Copernicus Sentinel-4 satellite, as well as upcoming launches, including those of the Galileo L14 and Sentinel-1D satellites. The exhibition combined striking visual design with physical satellite models and interactive installations, giving visitors a close-up view of Europe's space technology and its growing role in everyday life.

Outside the venue, a Copernicus Earth Art installation illustrated how the EU's Earth Observation system supports monitoring of Denmark's croplands, coasts, and seas, showing the tangible benefits of space data for environmental management and research.

Takeaways

The Aalborg conference provided a platform for policy dialogue, institutional cooperation, youth engagement, and examples of how European initiatives support innovation. The European Commission's participation reflected priorities already set out earlier this year, including its Vision for the European Space Economy, preparations for the EU Space Act, and the development of the European Space Shield in cooperation with Member States.

As Europe prepares for the next steps on legislation, resilience, and service evolution, the exchanges in Aalborg under the Danish Presidency offered a timely look at how national and European efforts intersect, and how stakeholders continue to work together across research, industry, and education.