New Space Atlantic Summit 2025: Portugal’s Role in the Future of Space
The New Space Atlantic Summit 2025 will bring together decision-makers, experts, and industry representatives to debate Portugal's role in the European and global space context. Under the motto “The Future of Portugal in Space – Contributions to a Renewed National Strategy”, the event will take place on May 13th and 14th, at a crucial moment in terms of strategic redefinition.
The 8th edition of the New Space Atlantic Summit is taking place at a decisive moment on a global level. In a scenario marked by accelerated technological transformation, geopolitical instability, and a growing awareness of the importance of strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy in different spheres, the space sector is emerging as a priority area for investment — with a direct impact on areas such as security, defence, digitalisation, and sustainability.
Ricardo Conde considers this 8th edition of the conference to be “an essential moment to align strategies and strengthen national commitment to a European vision for space”. “At a time when Europe is redefining its priorities, it is essential that Portugal contributes with concrete, integrated, and ambitious proposals,” the President of the Portuguese Space Agency adds.
As such, the agenda of the New Space Atlantic Summit includes multiple thematic sessions aimed at deepening the debate on innovation, industrialisation, defence, Earth observation, telecommunication, and exploration. The alignment between European priorities – as expressed in the Draghi, Letta, and Heitor reports – and the national reality will also be discussed, with the aim of revising the national strategy for space.
Among the highlights of the 2025 edition are panels dedicated to the use of space data in territorial management and the definition of public health policies, the industrialisation of the sector, and Portugal’s contribution to European technological autonomy, particularly in terms of defence and security.
There are confirmed participations from Rodrigo da Costa, Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), on the paths to Portugal’s transformation through Technological Innovation, as well as by the former Minister of Science and Technology, Manuel Heitor, lead author of the European report “Align, Act, Accelerate”. There will also be a focus on the relationship between space innovation and defence economics, with speeches from both national and international experts, namely the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Luís Amado, the former Director of INESC TEC, José Manuel Mendonça, and Francisco Vilhena da Cunha, President of GEOSAT.
“We have more than three dozen companies, research centres, and members of academia presenting concrete projects that demonstrate the work being done in Portugal and which has a direct contribution to European competitiveness in the space sector,” says Ricardo Conde, emphasising that “this will be a strategic moment to give visibility to the national players and ecosystem”.
The conference will also be the stage for a debate on Portugal’s programme options for the next European Space Agency (ESA) funding framework, which takes place in November. This proposal aims to consolidate Portugal’s participation in European strategic decisions and to strengthen national capacity building in the sector.
This year’s New Space Atlantic Summit closes with the presentation of the 2025 Innovation in Space Sciences and Technologies Award, which will honour national initiatives with relevant contributions in fields such as Astronomy, Earth Observation, Telecommunication, Space Exploration and Security, among others.
Find out more about the event’s preliminary agenda here. Participation in the conference is free, but registration is required. Register here before May 1st.
