The 19. ESPI Autumn Conference - Looking Back
Thank you for being part of the 19. ESPI Autumn Conference, hosted at the Vienna City Hall on 28. & 29. October 2025!
With the 2025 edition, the ESPI Autumn Conference continues to grow as an international platform for policy dialogue and cross-regional trust-building—fostering new opportunities for Europe’s space ambitions and reinforcing its role as a trusted global partner. The event’s policy and international focus, set within a distinctly European context, demonstrated how ESPI, as a Quasi-International Organisation (QuIO), can serve as a unifying actor. A key part of the programme was dedicated to “building bridges” between Europe and our global partners.
The conference brought together more than 300 participants from over 60 nationalities spanning six world regions, and featured over 30 distinguished speakers representing parliaments, governments, space agencies, and other key stakeholders. Discussions explored Europe’s space ambitions and the path ahead, as well as international cooperation between Europe and North & Latin America, Asia & the Middle East, and Africa.
We are happy to share the following digital content of the conference with you:
Post-Conference Coverage
- Euractiv: European Space Agency launches into defence with military satellite plan
- Times Malta: Malta officially joins European Space Policy Institute
- Tech Review Africa: AfSA President calls for rethinking global space partnerships at ESPI Autumn Conference
- Global Security Review: European Space Agency Goes Boldly
- The Luxembourg Government: New Agreement between LSA and the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
- Surrey Space Centre: Europe as a Space Power - Report on ESPI's 2025 Autumn Conference
- Austria in Space: Ludwig Möller: Brücken bauen für Europas Raumfahrt-Zukunft
- British Embassy Vienna: Catching up with Chris White-Horne, Space Director at the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology & Deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency
- George Freeman, UK MP: How we we avoid the new space race between the USA and China?
- Euconvest: Between Potential and true Purpose: Europe as a Space Power
- African Space Agency at the 19. ESPI Autumn Conference
- AEE at the 19. ESPI Autumn Conference
- LSA at the 19. ESPI Autumn Conference
- Prague Security Studies Institute at the 19. ESPI Autumn Conference
Interviews
- Europe's Space Future and Global Cooperation with Didier Schmitt, Head of Future Preparations at the European Space Agency (ESA)
- Europe's Space Power Potential and UK Cooperation with George Freeman, UK MP
- Austria's Defence Perspestive on Space Resilience with Maj. Robert Pfaffenbauer, Austrian Ministry of Defence
- ESPI Essay Competition Winners - Orbital Today Interview with Alexandra Ba-Tin and Raphael Diot
Speakers
Speakers
Josef Aschbacher
Director General of the European Space Agency
Timo Pesonen
Director General of DG DEFIS, European Commission
Karin Tausz
Managing Director of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency
Tidiane Ouattara
President of the African Space Council of the African Space Agency
Mario Kadastik
Chair of the Estonian Presidency of the European Interparliamentary Space Conference
George Freeman
Member of Parliament, UK Trade & Investment Envoy
Raksina Lekthanoo
Chief of International Affairs Division at GISTDA
Renato Krpoun
Head of the Swiss Space Office at SBFI, Chair of ESA Council
Gen. Roberto Melgar
Chief of the Peruvian Space Agency
Gabriella Arrigo
Director of International Affairs at ASI, President of the International Astronautical Federation
Walther Pelzer
Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR
Sabina Koleša
ESA Council Delegate at the Slovenian Space Office
Juan Carlos Cortés
Director of the Spanish Space Agency
Chris White-Horne
DSIT Space Director and Deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency
Ricardo Conde
President of the Portuguese Space Agency
Sinead O'Sullivan
Economist at Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness
Gregory Mann
NASA Europe Representative
Mohammad Al Angari
Chief Planning and Development Officer at the Saudi Space Agency
Jana Robinson
Managing Director of the Prague Security Studies Institute
Jean-Claude Piedboeuf
Senior Vice President of Space Programs at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
H.E. Sh. Shambhu S. Kumaran
Ambassador of India to Austria, Permanent Representative of India to the UN in Vienna
H.E. Gustavo Zlauvinen
Ambassador of Argentina to Austria, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the UN in Vienna
Nikol Koleva
Executive Director at Space Generation Advisory Council
Jamie Morin
Vice President of Defense Strategic Space at the Aerospace Corporation
Mathias Link
Deputy CEO of the Luxembourg Space Agency
Margit Mischkulnig
Dept. Head for Space Affairs and Aerospace Technologies, Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility & Infrastructure
Frank Monteny
Director General Research and Space at the Belgian Science Policy Office
James Catania
Director, Space Programs & Engagement Unit, Xjenza Malta
Col. Marcin Mazur
Vice President of the Polish Space Agency
Roberto Battiston
Incoming Chair of the European Space Sciences Committee, former President of the Italian Space Agency
Etienne Schneider
Former Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Didier Schmitt
Head of Future Preparation, Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration, ESA
Maj. Gen. Pascal Legai
Senior Security Advisor to ESA Director General
Joshua Posaner
Managing Editor at Euractiv
Ludwig Moeller
Director of ESPI
Sponsors & Partners
Main Sponsors
Partners
In-kind Sponsor
Partners
Conference Partners
Partners
Media Partners
Partners
Become a Sponsor!
Your organization’s participation in the 19th ESPI Autumn Conference offers a unique opportunity to showcase its initiatives to an international audience of high-level decision-makers.
By engaging with stakeholders across diverse policy domains and economic sectors, you can expand your reach, foster new relationships, and highlight your organization’s role in advancing policy, innovation, and space activities both in Europe and globally.
If you are interested in discussing sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to Luis Cortes Kollert, Events and Engagements Officer at ESPI.
Explore options in our Sponsorship Prospect!
Programme
Convening a suite of high-level European and international speakers, the Conference fostered policy dialogue across institutional, industrial, and geopolitical domains, featuring dynamic formats of exchange, including 1-on-1 moderated debates.
Discussions explored how to scale up Europe’s ambition by leveraging the full potential of its space actors, aiming to position the continent as a leading space power and reliable global partner.
The Welcome Reception at 19:00 CET (28. October 2025)
- Registration & Networking Dinner
- Welcome Adress: Astrid Rompton, City Delegate, City of Vienna
- Welcome Address: H. Ludwig Moeller, Director of the European Space Policy Institute
- Welcome Address: Karin Tausz, Managing Director of FFG
- Welcome Address: Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency
Doors open at 8:15 CET (29. October 2025)
- Check in & Networking Breakfast
Programme begins at 8:45
- Opening Keynote: Ludwig Moeller, Director of the European Space Policy Institute
- Opening Keynote: Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency
- Opening Keynote: Timo Pesonen, Director General of DG DEFIS, European Commission
Europe is called upon to live up to its role in the world and put into practice the benefit of space for prosperity, peace and security. This series of moderated dialogues with European policymakers and heads of agencies will explore how to scale up Europe’s ambition by leveraging the full potential of its space actors, aiming to grow the political will at the true scale of Europe’s economic power and talent to assert itself as a full space power.
Policy Dialogue
- Mario Kadastik, Chair of the Estonian Presidency of the European Interparliamentary Space Conference, Member of Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia)
- George Freeman, Member of Parliament, UK Trade and Investment Envoy, former Minister of State for Science, Technology, Research and Innovation
- Moderator: Etienne Schneider, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Chair of ESPI Advisory Council
Heads of Agencies Dialogue I
- Walther Pelzer, DG of the German Space Agency at DLR
- Juan Carlos Cortés, Director of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE)
- Chris White-Horne, Space Director at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency
- Moderator: H. Ludwig Moeller, Director of the European Space Policy Institute
Heads of Agencies Dialogue II
- Renato Krpoun, Head of the Swiss Space Office at SBFI, Chair of ESA Council
- Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency
- Sabina Kolesa, Slovenian Representative to ESA Council
- Moderator: H. Ludwig Moeller, Director of the European Space Policy Institute
Europe has the chance to build on its reputation as a trustworthy partner in many parts of the globe, a valuable asset when the world is confronted with an increasingly complex multipolar environment. This series of moderated dialogues with international guests will address Europe’s role as a global partner and address pathways for enhanced cooperation between European and international partners.
Thematic Keynote
- Tidiane Ouattara, President of the African Space Council of the African Space Agency
North American Dialogue
- Gregory Mann, NASA Europe Representative
- Jean-Claude Piedboeuf, Senior Vice President of Space Programs at the Canadian Space Agency
- Jamie Morin, Vice President of Defense Strategic Space at the Aerospace Corporation
- Moderator: Sinead O'Sullivan, Economist at Harvard Business School
Asia & Middle East Dialogue
- Mohammad Al Angari, Chief Planning and Development Officer at the Saudi Space Agency
- Raksina Lekthanoo, Chief of International Affairs Division, Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency
- H.E. Shambhu Kumaran, Ambassador of India to the Republic of Austria, Montenegro & The Holy See Permanent Representative of India to the UN and other International Organisations in Vienna, Governor for India, IAEA Board
- Moderator: Jana Robinson, Managing Director of the Prague Security Studies Institute
Latin America Dialogue
- Raúl Kulichevsky, Director of the Argentine Space Agency (CONAE)
- Gen. Roberto Melgar, Chief of the Peruvian Space Agency (CONIDA)
- Moderator: Gabriella Arrigo, Director of International Affairs at ASI and Incoming President of the International Astronautical Federation (2026)
With contributions from:
- Mathias Link, Deputy CEO of the Luxembourg Space Agency
- Frank Monteny, Director General Research and Space at the Belgian Space Policy Office
- Juan Carlos Cortés, Director of the Spanish Space Agency
- James Catania, Director, Space Programs & Engagement Unit at Xjenza Malta
- Nikol Koleva, Executive Director at Space Generation Advisory Council
This series of moderated dialogues will address the key thematic domains for Europe to become a full-fledged space power.
All sessions moderated by Joshua Posaner, Managing Editor at Euractiv
Explore, Inspire, Discover
- Roberto Battiston, Incoming Chair of the European Space Sciences Committee (ESSC), former President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI)
- Didier Schmitt, Head of Future Preparation, Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration, ESA
Securing Peace
- Col. Marcin Mazur, Vice President of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA)
- Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Pascal Legai, Senior Security Advisor to ESA DG
Innovative and Competitive Europe
- Mathias Link, Deputy CEO of the Luxembourg Space Agency
- Sinead O'Sullivan, Economist at Harvard Business School
The 2 winners of the ESPI Essay Competition will be announced and have a chance to briefly present their policy brief.
- Moderator: Elizaveta Shashkova, ESPI Research Fellow