- The Andalusian capital has been the headquarters of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) since 2024, the same year in which it held the presidency of the Community of Ariane Cities (CVA) and in a few months will inaugurate the incubator for emerging technology-based space companies of the European Space Agency (ESA)
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The third day of ‘New Space & Solutions’ -first virtual session- focused on the key role that the union of the public and private sectors plays in innovation and technological development
After two intense face-to-face sessions at the Cartuja Auditorium in Seville, ‘New Space & Solutions’ continued with the celebration of its first virtual session -third day of the event- focused on convergence in the aerospace industry between the public and private sectors. The day began with the panel ‘Defense and Space: Convergence of Opportunities’ organized by the Ministry of University, Research and Innovation of the Andalusian Regional Government. Its deputy minister, Lorena Garrido, moderated this talk, which discussed the key role played by the private sector in innovation and technological development, with the participation of José Miguel Moreno, CEO of Solar MEMS Technologies; Víctor Montero, co-founder and director of Business and Operations of B2Space; and Fernando Lasagni, CTO of Novaindef.
“In Spain and very especially in Andalusia, the aerospace sector is strategic due to its impact on production, its capacity for economic transformation and its investment in R&D,” assured Lorena Garrido, who offered figures on the impact of this sector on the Andalusian economy. “According to TEDAE, defense and security contribute 1,675 million euros to the regional GDP, which is equivalent to 13.68% of the Andalusian industrial GDP and generates 15,928 jobs in the community, which represents 6.36% of industrial employment in our community.”
Within this public-private convergence, success stories such as Solar MEMS Technologies, B2Space and Novaindef play a very relevant role within the aerospace industry. Thus, Novaindef is developing an advanced manufacturing strategy for the Spanish Army, with an investment of more than 30 million euros in metallic and polymeric 3D printing equipment. Solar MEMS manufactures solar and stellar sensors for satellite orientation, with customers such as NASA and several European space agencies; while B2Space manufactures stratospheric platforms for observation, communications and defense.
Nieves Valenzuela, general director of Innovation Promotion of the Regional Ministry of University, Research and Innovation of the Junta de Andalucía, spoke about the Space Innova Andalucía project, which aims to “improve public services through pseudo-satellite solutions through public procurement of innovation (PPI)”. With an endowment of 20.2 million euros from the Andalucía FEDER 2021-2027 program Space Innova Andalucía “seeks to improve emergency services, firefighting, environmental management and geospatial positioning through innovative solutions. This requires investment in technology platforms and data management to optimize decision making”.
Seville at the forefront of the aerospace drive
Seville has established itself in recent years as a benchmark in the aerospace industry. The Seville City Council is actively working to promote the development of companies and research centers in the space field, which has supported the first edition of ‘New Space & Solutions’. Fernando Mañes, vice-president delegate of the CVA presidency of the Seville City Council, and Antonio Villegas, general director of Economic Promotion, Business Parks and Science of the Seville City Council, took part in this first virtual day with a conference in which they explained the importance for the Andalusian capital of holding the presidency of the Community of Ariane Cities (CVA) in 2024 and the imminent implementation of the incubator of emerging technology-based companies in space of the European Space Agency (ESA). All this together with the fact that Seville will also host the headquarters of the Spanish Space Agency (ESA) from 2024.
“The presidency has served to consolidate the commitment of our city to the space sector,” noted Fernando Mañes, for whom the fundamental challenge of the city is “to increase the workload in this industry to, taking advantage of the proximity of the test launch center of El Arenosillo, strengthen the position of Seville as an aerospace hub.” During the presidency, Seville became a meeting point for cities linked to the CVA and in the almost immediate future will become the headquarters of the ESA business incubator, “a very important challenge” – in the words of Antonio Villegas – that will become a reality thanks to the Department of University, Research and Innovation of the Andalusian Regional Government, the City of Seville itself and the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (CATEC) that “will place Seville as a strategic epicenter of the aerospace industry in Spain and southern Europe”. “It will allow us to promote an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the space sector and strengthen collaboration with the Spanish Space Agency. It will also contribute to the economic and industrial development of the city,” concluded Antonio Villegas.
Future projects of international space agencies
Chiharu Hoshino, deputy director at JAXA’s Paris Office, pointed out the functions of the Japanese government agency responsible for the development and utilization of the aerospace industry in response to public needs. “Its mission includes the development of new technologies, the promotion of space businesses and the expansion of the aerospace industry into non-traditional sectors,” stressed Chiharu Hoshino, who highlighted that “one of the key programs is the support for startups offered at different stages of business development.” In addition, among its projects for 2025 is the launch of new missions and the participation of astronauts in the International Space Station.
Teodoro Valente, President of Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), shared the latest developments and initiatives of the Italian agency in the field of ‘New Space’, highlighting the “boost to startups and SMEs in the sector through various initiatives, in addition to the national program and bilateral agreements with the European Space Agency (ESA)”. Also, looking ahead to 2025 Teodoro Valente highlighted the preparations for events such as the Group on Earth Observation Forum in Rome, where space leaders and experts will address the role of space technology in solving global challenges, promoting innovation and a vision of a more sustainable future.
Satellites, vital for communications
Elena Puigrefagut, project manager of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), shared with the virtual attendees everything related to the 5G-Emerge project that “combines satellite, 5G and Edge Computing to distribute audiovisual content in an economical, sustainable and reliable way”. This project is being developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) through the ARTES program and has an industrial consortium covering the entire content distribution chain. “The main objective is the convergence between satellite and 5G using native IP, which facilitates integration with common devices such as smartphones and tablets,” added the EBU project manager.
In this same context, David Rodriguez-Laurentie, Director of Aerospace & Defense Accounts at Rohde & Schwarz, presented the advances in satellite communication from the perspective of this German company, explaining the convergence between the aerospace sector and wireless communications, which “will improve communication capabilities in different environments and create more efficient communication infrastructures“. He also addressed the characterization of materials, a key aspect in the aerospace and defense sector, since “materials must withstand extreme conditions and ensure reliability. Radiofrequency is a key technology for their analysis, as it allows non-destructive measurements in real time, monitoring physical, mechanical, thermal or chemical changes,” he said.
For his part, Alberto Parada, head of sales for Industry, Defense and Aerospace at DEKRA, explained the importance of accuracy in the data provided by satellites and shared the basic requirements for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing related to products in the space environment. “EMC is the ability of equipment to operate in its electromagnetic environment without causing interference to other devices or being affected by them,” concluded the representative of DEKRA, a multinational company with a presence in more than 60 countries that will be 100 years old this 2025 and that, although initially focused on automotive safety, has been expanding its activities to other sectors through acquisitions over the years.
All that ‘New Space’ has to offer
Guillermo Sagrario, president of SPACE-Aero Spain and responsible for Airbus Supply Chain, shared the work of this non-profit association founded in 2007 whose main mission is to drive excellence in the Spanish aerospace supply chain and provide a global vision of the sector’s needs. “The aerospace sector faces several challenges, such as the supply chain crisis derived from COVID-19, inflation and geopolitical changes,” warned Guillermo Sagrario, who defined SPACE-Aero España as “a key meeting point for the aerospace sector in Spain. Its work fosters operational excellence, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement”.
Álvaro Sánchez García, CEO of Integrasys, addressed issues such as cybersecurity and network reliability from the point of view of this company specialized in software and innovation for communications, broadcast and satellite defense. “At the macro level, investment in defense has multiplied,” said Álvaro Sánchez García, who pointed out that “investment in defense is not only to attack, but also to prevent attacks. Space is a rapidly evolving domain and it is crucial for Europe to increase its defense and NATO spending, while Spain must remain in NATO and contribute what is necessary to guarantee its security”.
For his part, José Evelio Jiménez, regional director in Spain of CT Ingenieros, outlined the capabilities, projects and possible collaborations in the space industry of this engineering company whose “competencies are essential for developing new products and services in this field.” “We participate in the entire product life cycle, from conceptual design to manufacturing, quality and after-sales support. This allows us to offer an integral service to our customers and guarantee the sustainability of our company”, highlighted José Evelio Jiménez about a company that throughout its history has participated in the chain of launchers such as Ariane V, Ariane VI, Vega, Calisto and Temis, as well as satellites such as Eurostar, Amazonas, SpineSat, UTSat and LECNOS.
Tomorrow, the fourth day -second virtual session- of this first edition of ‘New Space & Solutions’ will focus on universities, young talent and the need for skilled labor in the sector. In addition, some innovative projects that will revolutionize the sector in the near future will be presented, taking advantage of the resources offered by space to make everyday life on Earth easier.
All presentations will be available for on-demand viewing through ‘The Observatory’, the digital platform of Medina Media Events, where each intervention will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, free of charge.
The first edition of ‘New Space & Solutions’ is organized by Medina Media Events with the collaboration of the City of Seville and the Department of University, Research and Innovation of the Andalusian Regional Government and has the support of Rohde & Schwarz, ALTER, Ansys, Augusta Abogados, CT Ingenieros, DEKRA, Integrasys, Kistler, Orbital EOS, PARSEC, Proexca (Canary Islands Government), Space-Aero, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, CEU Universidad Fernando III, among others.