The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Portuguese Space Agency have signed a bilateral agreement under which ESA will, in addition to the in-kind support provided in previous editions, now expand its support to the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC), the university rocketry competition organised by the Portuguese Space Agency since 2020.

The agreement underscores the event’s importance in equipping the next generation of European space professionals with practical skills and experience. The announcement comes two weeks before the seventh edition of the competition, which runs from 15 to 21 October in Constância.

EuRoC has made Portugal, and Constância in particular, the annual meeting point for Europe’s most talented young people in science and technology.  From the first edition with six teams and fewer than 100 participants, the competition grew in 2026 to 64 applications from 26 countries. Of these, 25 teams were selected, and some 600 students are expected in Constância and the Santa Margarida Military Camp, where the rockets are launched.

The partnership with ESA falls under the New University Initiative, approved and funded by ESA Member States at the Council at Ministerial Level in November 2025. Through academic partnerships, practical opportunities and collaborative activities, the initiative aims to strengthen links between higher education and the European space sector, and develop the knowledge, skills and practical experience needed for Europe’s future in space. “By joining the competition, ESA recognises that EuRoC, Europe’s largest and most advanced university rocketry competition, contributes directly to these objectives,” says Marta Gonçalves, Education and Science officer at the Portuguese Space Agency.

Beyond its financial support, ESA remains part of the technical evaluation board, as in previous editions, and supports students’ access to the space job market, the public recognition of their projects, and the international promotion of the competition.

Marco Ferrazzani, ESA Director of Resources and Services, said: “Europe needs talented graduates who are ready to contribute from the start. Through demanding, real-world projects, EuRoC helps students transform academic knowledge into the skills, experience and confidence needed to launch successful careers in the space sector. ”

By partnering with EuRoC, ESA strengthens the international dimension of an event that already has the support of the Portuguese Army, through the Mechanised Brigade, which provides the resources and the site to perform the launches, and Constância Municipality, which makes the Municipal Sports Hall available, as well as associated resources, for the teams to assemble their vehicles.

“Since the Portuguese Space Agency created EuRoC, we have seen student rocketry societies and dedicated university modules appear across Europe. ESA is joining a movement that can no longer be stopped, and that is training the engineers Europe needs to secure its own access to space,” says Inês d’Ávila, Space Transportation and Space Safety officer at the Portuguese Space Agency.

EuRoC strengthens the European launcher sector by providing students with hands-on experience in the design, development and operation of rocket systems. At the same time, EuRoC helps maintain a strong European talent and innovation base, supporting Europe’s long-term autonomy in access to space and contributing to the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of the European launcher ecosystem.

Géraldine Naja, ESA Director of Space Transportation, concludes: “EuRoC embodies the innovation, ambition and pioneering spirit that will drive the next generation of European launchers. It gives students the rare opportunity to design, build and fly real rocket systems while experiencing first-hand the challenges and excitement of launcher development. We are proud to support an initiative that turns ambition into achievement.”