ESA at the European Space Conference 2026

This edition of the conference will focus on European autonomy, resilience, competitiveness, security and defence, bringing together representatives from the European Space Agency, the European Commission, industry, national space agencies and European institutions to discuss strategic priorities for Europe in space.

“This year, ESA’s presence at ESC is of particular strategic importance,” says Anne-Sophie Bradelle, Head of ESA’s Communications Department. “It follows the results of ESA’s Ministerial Council in November, which approved an historic budget of €22.3 billion. This strengthens Europe’s position in the global space arena and reinforces ESA’s mandate in security and defence-related activities.”

Key outcomes from ESA’s Ministerial Council 2025 (CM25), including strengthened cooperation between ESA and the European Union, will be highlighted across the conference sessions and keynote addresses, as well as in the exhibitions and events. This cooperation addresses space transportation, Earth observation, secure communications, technology development, and space safety and sustainability.

Exhibition

The ESA exhibition will be located in the Magritte Foyer, on the first floor of the Square Convention Centre, and will present the five goals of ESA’s Strategy 2040, in line with the outcomes of CM25:

• Protecting our planet and climate
• Exploring and discovering
• Strengthening European autonomy and resilience
• Boosting European growth and competitiveness
• Inspiring Europe

A dedicated wall focusing on the motto ‘Stronger Together’ will highlight cooperation between ESA and the European Commission, reflecting the importance of the EU–ESA partnership for Europe’s leadership in space and the competitiveness of the European economy. To mark some recent achievements in collaboration with the European Commission, models of MTG-S, Sentinel-4, and Galileo satellites will be on display.

The exhibition will provide a space for interviews, networking and events with ESA Director General, ESA Directors and other experts.

Additional ESA exhibition elements will be located on the ground floor of the Square Convention Centre, including Ameca, ESA’s AI-powered robot ambassador.

Conference programme highlights

ESA will play a central role at the conference, with the participation of its Director General Josef Aschbacher, ESA Directors, astronauts and other senior experts. The conference is organised in different locations of the Square: the Agora (ground floor), the Gold room and Silver room on the first floor and, in addition, a number of events will be held at the ESA booth.

For more details on the official programme of the conference, please check the organisers’ official programme website: Programme – 18th European Space Conference

For a full programme of events involving ESA speakers, please check our media programme here.