Peter Hanke
Federal Minister for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (Austria)
20th ESPI Annual Conference
What to expect
A this pivotal moment in both space and geopolitics, ESPI dedicates its celebratory edition of the Annual Conference to enabling decision-makers across Europe and the world to reflect on our common aspirations of advancing a positive agenda in and through space.
Whether to empower our societies on Earth or to elevate our ambitions in space exploration towards the Moon and beyond in the search for life, this Conference will focus on defining our collective vision to uplift the use of space for the common benefit of humankind. In this unravelling global order, the Conference will position Europe as a reliable pole of stability for international partners.
Key Themes
Defining aspirations for a new era
How can we look beyond today's uncertainties to shape a positive direction for space that builds Europe's future, strengthens global partnerships and contributes to shared progress?
Reuniting the world
How can Europe take a lead in reuniting the world through common aspirations, at a time of global upheaval?
Earth, Moon and life: three frontiers for action
From reconciling climate action in a fractured world, to defining Europe's role on the Moon, to asking whether the search for life beyond Earth could become humankind's next great shared endeavour – how can these three frontiers turn Europe's aspirations into concrete action?
Main Partners
Partners
Strategic Partners
Partners
Partners
Partners
Become a partner
Becoming a partner of the 20th ESPI Annual Conference offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen your brand image among senior decision-makers from policy, industry and civil society, both within the space sector and beyond.
The conference provides the opportunity to be visible at the event, including the option to intervene in different settings.
We invite you to consult the Partnership Brochure and contact us to start discussing your conference partnership: Contact ESPI
Speakers
Speakers
Josef Aschbacher
Director General @ European Space Agency
Hubert Büchel
Government Councillor for Interior, Economy, and Sport (Liechtenstein)
Martina von Künsberg Sarre
Member of National Council (Austria)
Andreu Martín Martínez
Member of Congress of Deputies (Spain), Vice Chair @ Spanish 2026 EISC Presidency
Klaus-Peter Willsch
Member of Bundestag (Germany)
Lord David Willetts
Member of the House of Lords (UK)
Walther Pelzer
Director General @ German Space Agency at DLR
Ricardo Conde
President @ Portuguese Space Agency
Aarti Holla-Maini
Director @ UN Office for Outer Space Affairs
Simonetta Cheli
Director of Earth Observation Programmes @ European Space Agency
Eric Morel de Westgaver
President of Eurisy and Director of Strategy, Legal and External Matters @ European Space Agency
Daniel Neuenschwander
Director of Human and Robotic Exploration @ European Space Agency
Karin Tausz
Managing Director of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency
Thomas Reiter
Head of the Space and Security Department @ German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space
Anu Ojha
Space Chief Technology Officer, UK Space Agency & School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester
Margit Mischkulnig
Head for Space Affairs and Aerospace Technologies @ Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility & Infrastructure
Ambassador Alison Grant
Canadian Ambassador to Austria & Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna
Ambassador Ian Biggs
Australian Ambassador to Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic & Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna
Ambassador Maria Sebastián de Erice
Spanish Permanent Representative of Spain to UNOV and other International Organizations in Vienna
Rafel Jorda Siquier
Founder & CEO @ Open Cosmos
Sangho Kim
Vice President for International Cooperation @ Korean Academy of Space Security
Paul Counet
Head of Cabinet of the Director-General, Head of Strategy, Communications and International Relations @ EUMETSAT
Daria Robinson
Executive Director @ GESDA
Pascale Ehrenfreud
President @ Committee on Space Research
Nicolas Paparoditis
President @ International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Roberto Battiston
Chair @ European Space Sciences Committee
Andreas Geisler
Head of the Austrian Space Agency @ FFG
Alexander Gerst
Astronaut @ European Space Agency
Carlos Garcia Sacristan
Head of International Relations @ Spanish Space Agency (AEE)
Jeffrey Apeldoorn
VP Missions @ ICEYE
Mauro Facchini
Head of Unit for Earth Observation @ Defence Industry and Space - European Comission
Leonardo Meeus
Loyola de Palacio Chair in the Robert Schuman Center @ European University Institute
Sarah Rugheimer
Reader (Assoc. Prof) & Chancellor Fellow @ University of Edinburgh
Etienne Schneider
Former Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Sinead O'Sullivan
Economist @ University College Cork
Philipp Reiss
Professor of Lunar and Planetary Exploration @ Technical University Munich
George Thomas
Head of External Affairs @ Frontiers
Sascha Quanz
Director LIFE Space Mission @ ETH Zurich
Ludwig Moeller
Director @ European Space Policy Institute
Lars Petzold
Lead on Exploration & Science @ European Space Policy Institute
Alberto Rueda Carazo
Incoming Lead on Space Diplomacy and Multilateral Platforms @ European Space Policy Institute
Anastasiia Posnova
Research Fellow @ European Space Policy Institute
Juliet Hannay
Communication Officer @ European Space Policy Institute
Programme
Access the full Conference programme here.
Conference Participation
To mark the this anniversary edition, the 20th ESPI Annual Conference will be held as a curated, invitation-led event, bringing together leaders of the space community and high-level decision-makers for open and impactful exchanges.
In line with ESPI's purpose of promoting the general good and raising public awareness on strategic space issues, a dedicated allocation of open seats is reserved for wider participaiton.
If you are interested in attending, we invite you to submit an expression of interest via the form below.
Please contact ac2026@espi.eu
Venue
Gardenpalais Liechtenstein
