SME Forum 2024 – Join ESA's annual consultation process

In 2024, the SME Forum will take place in the frame of the SME + Midcap Days on 8–9 April 2024 at ESA Headquarters in Paris (a separate registration at a later point in time will be required to attend this on-site event). Consolidated comments and reactions provided during the SME Forum will feed into the next ESA High Level Forum as well as future considerations about the activities and policies of the Agency.

Preparatory meetings

To collect some first SME contributions and prepare the Paris meeting, ESA invites SMEs active in the space sector to contribute to the discussion by attending an online preparatory meeting on 6 March 2024 (10:00–13:00 CET). If deemed necessary, an online follow-on meeting will be held on 20 March (10:00–13:00 CET). To participate in these meetings, register on ESA's Learning Hub by 3 March.  

Representatives of SMEs from ESA Member States, Cooperating States and Associate States are invited to participate in the process on behalf of their companies. The Agency encourages participation at management level.

The main points highlighted during the preparatory meetings will be gathered and will provide a first set of industry inputs to the SME Forum, presented by one or more SME representatives in April, which will kick-off the debate on the day.

Note: please ensure that you are registered with your corporate company email address (this can be checked, and changed if necessary, in your Learning Hub user profile).

Objectives

The objectives of these preparatory meetings are to:

• have an open discussion and collect views of the community which can be brought to the SME Forum;
• identify pressing issues and areas of concern for SMEs;
• collect inputs which could help shape the SME Forum agenda;
• provide an opportunity to those who cannot attend the on-site event in Paris to share their views and provide feedback.

Draft agenda

The draft agenda of the online preparatory meeting on 6 March:

• ESA Introduction
• SME4Space opening remarks
• Topic 1: Challenges for industry in the space market: external factors
• Topic 2: Working with ESA: challenges, needs and evolution
• Other issues to be brought to the attention of the Agency
• Any other business

Cancellation policy

If you have registered but cannot attend, please inform the organisers at your earliest convenience.