Eurospace

Eurospace is a non-profit organisation incorporated under French law. It was founded in 1961 as the trade association of the then emerging European space industry. As such, Eurospace is the reference body for consultation and dialogue within industry and with European institutions. Its mission is to foster the development of space activities in Europe and to promote a better understanding of space industry-related issues.

Eurospace membership includes companies from 15 European countries. Together they represent more than 90% of the total European industrial turnover in space activities and about 70% of European space manufacturing industry employment. This makes Eurospace the most representative Association of the Space industry sector in Europe.

Eurospace members include the main European space systems manufacturers. They range from large satellite systems integrators to smaller equipment providers, small systems integrators, service operators, launcher parts manufacturers and engineering and software services. The European launch service operator, Arianespace, is also a member.

With more than 50 years of presence in the sector, Eurospace has a well-established network of contacts with all the actors involved in the European Space policy and the European space programmes: the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission (EC), the European Parliament, the European Defence Agency (EDA), delegations of Member States, the Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, and representatives of other institutions and associations having common interests. These contacts allow Eurospace to deliver its messages through multiple channels and to keep aware in advance of upcoming events.

In 2004, Eurospace became the Space Group of ASD (AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe). The aggregated structure allows industry to better benefit from existing synergies between aeronautics, space and defence activities.

The association ensures a permanent space policy, space programmatic, space technology, and worldwide space business watch. It also monitors daily information from all EU institutional sources in domains that directly or indirectly concern the Space sector. The knowledge and understanding gained are used to promote a more space-conscious Europe and Eurospace regularly publishes recommendations based on the identification of issues affecting the European space industry as a whole.

Activities are carried out within ad hoc working groups, which are composed and chaired by industry representatives. The Eurospace executive board provides coordination and support. The current Active Working Groups and Panels are: Standardisation, Security & Defence, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE parts and components), Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES), Navigation (Galileo), Space Industry Markets, Research and Technology, Legal Affairs, Policy Committee, Exploration, Space Telecommunications.

For institutions, the association is an effective point of entry into the industrial sector and a preferred vector of dialogue for industry-wide issues: In 2012 a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was renewed with ESA, which officially recognises Eurospace as the representative body of the European space industry. The MoA covers all issues related to new programmes, competitiveness, research & technology, and administration.