BRUSSELS – Today (23 May) the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions on “Enhancing Europe’s competitiveness through space”. The text is reflected on How can a more competitive European space sector contribute to the economic and social challenges facing the European Union and strengthen its role at the global level?.
The space sector will play an increasingly important role in Europe’s strategic independence. Thomas Dermen, Belgian Secretary of State for Strategic Recovery, says the ambitious space policy “will create good business opportunities and jobs in this fast-growing sector, and will also help our economy, both industrial and services, to accelerate green and digital transitions and become better prepared to compete globally.”
The contribution of space to Europe’s competitiveness
The Council’s conclusions highlight the growing importance of space in many areas of social, economic and political challenges facing the EU, from the Green Deal (collecting data to better understand and prepare for climate change), to the digital transformation in space communications and information. Or the overall competitiveness of the European Union. Furthermore, space contributes to economic growth by generating innovative solutions, applications and system services that can benefit many other sectors through more integrated cooperation between the space and non-space sectors.
Strengthening the space sector
In the text adopted today, Member States emphasize the need to improve the use of space data and call for further development of this sector, ensuring and increasing public and private investments. Public procurement, a good risk management framework, or strengthening public and private financing models can have a positive impact on all actors in the space ecosystem, including small and medium-sized enterprises. The conclusions also underscore the importance of harnessing the multiplier effect of investments in space research and development, promoting a stable and predictable framework, and developing the necessary skills in the sector’s workforce. The results underscore the important role that public authorities play in ensuring that companies access data in a cost-effective manner while maintaining the integrity and security of space data.
Space and global work
According to the conclusions adopted today, the European Union and the European Space Agency should contribute to the development of global rules that guarantee a sustainable space environment. The conclusions indicate that a strong European space sector is critical for Europe’s strategic autonomy and call for expansion of the European space sector and global cooperative partnerships. The conclusions also highlight that “space is vital to protecting critical infrastructures (such as energy or network infrastructure), making the security of critical technologies essential.”
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