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The Cartuja Auditorium in Seville from March 17 to 21, 2025, in the context of Women’s Week, will host the first edition of ‘New Space & Solutions’, a pioneering meeting in which the space and satellite industry will come together to jointly explain the solutions they provide to citizens
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Space Agencies such as NASA or the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), pioneering companies, Universities, Associations and European Projects will be represented by women in this international event that will give visibility to female talent in the space sector
The crucial role of women in the aerospace sector will be one of the main axes of ‘New Space & Solutions’, “Where the New Space industry comes together to provide solutions”, which will turn Seville from 17 to 21 March 2025 into the world capital of space.
The aim of this pioneering event, in which NASA and the Spanish Space Agency (ESA) are participating, is to show what Space can do for citizens in fields such as Emergencies, Health, Telecommunications, Logistics, Mobility, Agriculture, Environment and Meteorology, among others.
One of the days will be dedicated exclusively to female talent. Women leaders in the space sector will share their experiences and reflections with interviews in which they will tell their personal and professional stories, and will launch inspirational messages for young women who want to dedicate themselves to the aerospace sector.
They will lead the New Space
The dates of ‘New Space & Solutions’ are no coincidence. They are located in the context of International Women’s Week, underlining the event’s commitment to promoting greater visibility for female talent in one of the sectors with the greatest future projection.
During the first two days of the event, in the Cartuja Auditorium, Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 March, the participation of three women representatives of the Space Agencies will be highlighted: Cecilia Hernández, Director of Programs and Industry of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE); Ana María Marín Pérez, Director of the Technical Office of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE); and Chiharu Hoshino, from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities will also be represented by a woman: Teresa Riesgo, Secretary General for Innovation.
Gema Martín del Burgo, president of the association Ellas Vuelan Alto (EVA); Silvia de los Santos, head of the Aerospace Sector of CTA (Centro Tecnológico de Andalucía) and Nieves Valenzuela, General Director of Innovation Promotion of the Junta de Andalucía Consejería de Universidad, will also take part in the event.
Women, a meeting point for Universities and European Projects
Women of reference in the space industry will also take the floor to share international projects. Elena Puigrefagut, Senior Project Manager of the EBU (European Broadcasters Union), will talk about the 5G Emerge project of the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the EBU.
Another important pillar of “New Space & Solutions” are the Universities, with a day dedicated entirely to know the main projects that with European, national and regional funding are being developed in the universities of Andalusia and other universities in the rest of Spain. Other confirmed speakers include Delia Rico, from the University of Malaga, and María del Carmen Múñoz, from the University of Jaén.
Inspirational interviews
Visibilizing the talent and skills of women in the aerospace sector is one of the main objectives of ‘New Space & Solutions’. For this reason, there will be a day dedicated exclusively to “Women and Space”, which will feature inspirational interviews with leading female experts such as: Dulce Muñoz del Rey, Chief Vice President of the A400M Development Program at AIRBUS; Ersilia Vaudo, Director of Diversity European Space Agency (ESA); Carmen Sillero, from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission; Esperanza Caro, Technical Advisor of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines Junta de Andalucía; Eva Villaver, Deputy Director Instituto Astrofísico de Canarias; Eva Vega, Director Department Space Programs Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA); Lucía F. de la Bella, Director of Strategic Projects (Space Sector) of the University of Surrey; and Carmen García Roger, finalist of the ESA program for astronauts with disabilities.
In addition, the Spanish Space Agency will play an important role, as well as international agencies such as NASA, ESA or the Japanese JAXA, which will also be part of the agenda.
Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space aboard the Vostok 6 in 1963, or Sally Ride, the first American astronaut to travel into space in 1983, broke cultural and scientific barriers more than half a century ago, setting an important precedent for the participation of women in space missions. They were the starting point and the mirror in which outstanding women who today are a reference in the space and satellite industry worldwide look at themselves.
The agenda of ‘New Space & Solutions’ in Seville will include two face-to-face sessions (Monday March 17 and Tuesday March 18) at the Cartuja Auditorium – managed by Yventu – and three virtual sessions (Wednesday March 19, Thursday March 20 and Friday March 21).
All presentations can be followed through ‘The Observatory’, the digital platform of Medina Media Events, in which all interventions will be available 24/365 for consumption on demand, like Netflix, but free of charge.