Portugal strengthens the presence of its national space sector in Japan

The Portuguese Space Agency represented the national space sector at the Portugal Economic Forum – Portugal’s Role in the Future of Aerospace and Defence in Europe, which took place last Friday at the Portuguese Embassy in Japan. The event, attended by around fifty Japanese institutional and business entities, showcased the national space ecosystem and strengthened bilateral relations in the sector.

Organised by AICEP and the Portuguese Embassy in Japan, this was the third in a series of sectoral seminars held throughout the year, in conjunction with Expo Osaka. “These initiatives seek to highlight Portugal’s industrial capabilities, which are strongly oriented towards the global market, to deepen bilateral business relations,” says Joana Gaspar, Executive Member of AICEP.

For Hugo André Costa, Executive Director of the Portuguese Space Agency, “this direct contact with Japanese strategic partners is essential to strengthen Portugal’s presence in the global space sector, especially in relation to a key market such as Japan”.

Japan is now a leading force in international space exploration: it is responsible for two of the 14 modules of the International Space Station, participates in several joint missions with the European Space Agency and NASA, and in 2024, it became the fifth country to land on the Moon with the SLIM module successfully.

Among the speakers were Emir Sirage, Executive Director of New Space Portugal; Pedro Rodrigues, Director of the Space Division at TEKEVER; Martin Bennett, Executive Director of EID – Defence Communication Systems; and representatives from AICEP, who gave an overview of the business and innovation landscape in the Portuguese market. On the Japanese side, Masami Onoda, Director of the International Relations and Research Department at JAXA, was also present.

For Emir Sirage, the agenda’s participation in the event reaffirmed New Space Portugal’s ambition to “position Portugal as a strategic player in the new space economy,” especially considering that “the Japanese market represents an opportunity for the internationalisation of the national sector, which currently has installed capacity, a complete space value chain, and Earth Observation products and services (e.g., Geosat, a very high-resolution satellite operator and one of the leaders in Europe).”

For his part, Pedro Rodrigues believes that “TEKEVER shares Japan’s commitment to technological leadership and innovation”, stating that they are “committed to being a true mission partner, working together with Japan to provide solutions for its unique and complex maritime environment.”

On the sidelines of the Economic Forum, the Portuguese Space Agency met with its Japanese counterpart to explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation, both in the industrial and educational spheres. “Portugal and Japan share strategic priorities in the sustainable use of space for economic development, innovation, and the sustainability of the planet. This connection creates opportunities for joint projects with global impact,” concluded Hugo André Costa.