Organized by the Bremen region and hosted by Kristina Vogt, Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports, and Transformation of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, this high-level event on Europe’s space ambitions, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy highlighted the important role of regions in shaping Europe’s space ecosystem.
Keynote speakers provided essential insights into Europe’s evolving space landscape:
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Andrius Kubilius, European Commission, Commissioner for Defence and Space, shared perspectives on EU space policy and the integration of security and defence priorities.
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Martin Schaefer, German Representative to the Political and Security Committee, emphasized the importance of strategic alignment between national, EU, and ESA initiatives.
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Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA, offered an overview of ESA’s current and upcoming programmes and their complementarity with EU initiatives.
Panel Discussions:
The event featured two in-depth panels addressing Europe’s space priorities from policy, industrial, and national perspectives.
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Panel 1, led by Roya Ayazi, NEREUS Secretary-General, included Josef Aschbacher (ESA), MEP Prof. Dr. Andrea Wechsler (CDU, ITRE), and Christoph Kautz (European Commission). The discussion focused on:
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EU–ESA complementarity and cooperation
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The strategic role of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2028–2034) for Europe’s space competitiveness
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Enhancing European sovereignty in space technology and industrial capabilities
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A key takeaway from this panel was the essential role of regions in Europe’s space ecosystem. Regional authorities, acting as connectors between industry, research, and policy, can accelerate innovation and strategic resilience. Bremen, a NEREUS member region, was showcased as a prime example of how regional ecosystems contribute to Europe-wide space objectives.
The event underscored the need for coordinated action across EU institutions, ESA, industry, and regions to maintain Europe’s global leadership in space, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and ensure strategic autonomy.
