The added-value of the space sector for EU economy and society, EU policies and EU citizens is obvious. Today we enjoy increasingly accurate global navigation services for all transport modes and users, extended Earth monitoring for land, marine, atmosphere and climate change, global meteorological observation and accurate cartographies of a wide number of variables. These are key assets for the EU policies on climate, environment, transport, agriculture and secure society (e.g. Maritime Strategy, the Arctic Strategy, the Digital Agenda, the Common Security and Defence Policy, the Sustainable Development Strategy). Finally, the space sector is a source of economic growth, jobs and exports with the potential to spin-out a number of innovations in other sectors and to create a wealth of downstream applications and services.

With 43000 jobs, the upstream segment of the European space industry, i.e. manufacturing of launcher and spacecraft, represents 6% of the global space industry workforce and generates EUR 8.8 billion of consolidated revenues. With EUR 9.5 billion of estimated exports for satellites in the last decade and a growing market share on the global commercial satellite market, European industry is a strong global competitor and achieved unique leadership positions in the expanding market of exports for civil and military observation systems. Today, Europe has a world-class space sector, including a strong satellite manufacturing industry, which captures around 33 % of the open world markets.

The space systems manufacturing and launch sectors are net contributors to the EU trade balance. In addition, the capacity to access and use space is a strategic asset for Europe and its Member States. It is therefore a critical and strategic sector for the EU economy, which opens up many business opportunities especially in combination with digital technologies and other sources of data.

The vision of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda is structured along two technology-based activity lines: 

- 'Foster Competitiveness of space systems' to maintain and further strengthen Europe’s capacity to conceive, develop, operate and exploit competitive state-of-the-art space systems, associated services and applications and develop new system approaches, ensuring freedom of action and autonomy, 

- 'Reinforce Access to Space' to ensure that Europe maintains and improve autonomous, reliable and cost-effective access to space.

In addition, this agenda provides recommendations on approaches to synergies, governance and funding: 

- 'Promote Synergies' between space and non-space sectors and between civil and security space activities' and 

- 'Strengthen Opportunities' to identify the right instruments for the right purpose and make full use of available funding opportunities under Horizon Europe and in other programmes.

EU space research is supported through framework programmes. Horizon 2020 is the current framework programme. It was preceded by FP7 which ran from 2007 to 2013, and FP6 which ran from 2002 to 2006. Over 1.4 billion have beendevoted to Horizon 2020 to support Europe’s competitiveness in space research and it is expected to increase in the upcoming years.

For information on how B2EU Consulting could support your organisation in developing a funding strategy and in unlocking different financing tools for your operation in the space sector, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: info@b2eu-consulting.com.