Geopolitics, innovation and science at the heart of the IX New Space Atlantic Summit
The 2026 edition of the Portuguese Space Agency conference will take place on 24 and 25 June in Lisbon. Registration is now open.
From Earth’s orbit to the Moon, from satellite constellations to the new race for planetary exploration, and from the growing militarisation of space to its implications for global security, space is today one of the main stages of global geopolitics. Against this backdrop, the IX New Space Atlantic Summit, the annual conference of the Portuguese Space Agency (Agência Espacial Portuguesa), will take place on 24 and 25 June at the Técnico Innovation Centre in Lisbon. Attendance is free, but registration is mandatory.
Under the theme “The Architecture of Power: Geopolitics in the Second Era of Space Exploration”, the conference will bring together, over two days, policymakers, industry representatives, academics, and specialists to debate the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector’s future.
Topics such as Atlantic centrality, Portugal’s role in the new space race, the security of space infrastructures, and the growing importance of European defence through space will be at the heart of the discussions.
For Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency, “the moment we are living through is redefining the way we think about international cooperation and sovereignty, but also security, competitiveness and innovation, and the role that space plays across all these dimensions.” This is the premise behind the IX New Space Atlantic Summit. “We have built an agenda that promotes dialogue and reflection on the new balances of power in the space domain, the definition of the rules that will govern its exploration, and Portugal’s positioning in a rapidly changing international context, in which Europe must also secure a relevant role,” he adds.
Among the confirmed speakers for this year’s edition are Carole Mundell, Director of Science at the European Space Agency (ESA), João Barros, President of the Agency for Research and Innovation (AI²), José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Hélder Sousa Silva, Member of the European Parliament, and Arlindo Oliveira, President of INESC, among others.
The conference opens with a conversation on the four pillars of the space economy — science, innovation, industry and defence — as its guiding thread, followed by debates on Portugal’s role in space exploration and on entrepreneurship, from incubation to market, with representatives from Sword Health, ESA BIC Tagus+ and ESA BIC Centro+.
On the second day, Atlantic centrality takes centre stage with José Manuel Bolieiro and MEP Hélder Sousa Silva in a conversation with Ricardo Conde, followed by panels on technology and power, with Arlindo Oliveira and defence specialists, and on national space capacity-building, led by AED Cluster Portugal. The conference closes with Carole Mundell, ESA’s Director of Science, and researcher Nuno Santos, in a reflection on science as a driver of international leadership.
Consult the provisional agenda for the IX New Space Atlantic Summit here. Register here.
