The Future of the Space Economy is the theme of the 7th New Space Atlantic Summit
Conference by the Portuguese Space Agency brings together national and international leaders in Lisbon on June 7th.
Registrations are open until May 31st.
In its seventh edition, the New Space Atlantic Summit returns to stimulate debate on the future of the space sector. Scheduled for June 7th at the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), the conference will serve as a meeting point for the national and international space ecosystem, bringing together Portuguese and global leaders, experts, and young students.
Listening to future generations, their perspectives, and opinions is one of the highlights of this year’s New Space Atlantic Summit, themed “The Future of the Space Economy”. According to Ricardo Conde, president of the Portuguese Space Agency, “the actors in the space sector have the responsibility to look to the future in an innovative, but also sustainable way.” Therefore, he adds, “it is important to listen to the younger generation because they will be the future actors in this sector.”
The New Space Atlantic Summit will open with the panel “Perspectives on Space Education”, bringing together students, representatives of higher education institutions, and companies. The session will feature Pedro Arezes, president of the School of Engineering at the University of Minho, Luca Rossetini, CEO of D-Orbit, Mara Caeiro, partner at QR Consulting, Mariana Carvalho, president of the Aerospace Engineering Students’ Association at Instituto Superior Técnico, and Maria Neto, finalist of the 2022 Astronaut for a Day programme and Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Aveiro.
Keeping the focus on the future, the panel “Space Technology and Innovation” will stimulate debate on what companies and start-ups in the space sector have been developing. Looking at the Portuguese and European context, the panel will include Stella Tkatchova, Programme Manager for Space Systems at the European Innovation Council, Sebastian Klauss, CEO of ATMOS, Arthur Jordão, Executive Director of the Europe Startup Nations Alliance, and João Montenegro, entrepreneur and one of the winners of the ESA astronaut suit design competition in 2023.
The second part of the day will debate new European spaceports and how these infrastructures will contribute to the so-called New Space by enhancing the commercialisation capacity of space operations. The panel on “The Role of New European Spaceports” will include the presence of the main initiatives. Inês d’Ávila, Programme Manager for Security and Space Transportation at the Portuguese Space Agency, will also participate in this session.
The day will conclude with a discussion on the conference’s overarching topic: “The Future of the Space Economy”. In this panel, Ricardo Conde will be joined by Simonetta di Pippo, astrophysicist and former director of UNOOSA, Filipe Duarte Santos, a university professor with significant contributions to the study of climate change and sustainable development, and Rui Semide, CEO of Entangled.
The president of the Portuguese Space Agency anticipates a “more dynamic edition with more room for debates”: “We have extended the duration of the panels because we feel it is necessary to stimulate the exchange of views between speakers and participants in each session.”
Furthermore, the New Space Atlantic Summit aims to give a platform to non-space sectors with important interconnections with the theme. Therefore, interventions by Rita Sá Machado, Director-General of Health, and Ana Santos Pinto, university professor and specialist in Political Science, two of the personalities who are part of the newly created Advisory and Strategy Council of the Portuguese Space Agency, have been confirmed.
Registrations for the 7th New Space Atlantic Summit are open until May 31st. Participation is free, but registration is mandatory.
