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Brussels, Belgium
Ladies and gentlemen —
Commissioner Kubilius —
Director-General Aschbacher — thank you for the chance to join you today.
And I am grateful for our continued collaboration.
You said last week that “there can be no defence without space — and vice versa.”
I could not agree more.
Since the beginning of the great Space Race, our orbits have been a theatre of geopolitics.
But that has never been more true than it is today.
Investments in space are no longer simply about exploration and innovation here in Europe.
Today, space is a frontline for European security. Threats from our adversaries are growing.
We saw that from the beginning of the war in Ukraine when one of Russia’s very first strikes was against a satellite network here in Europe. Just this month, Britain spoke of Russia’s weekly targeting of its military satellites.
We see it with the challenges posed by companies like SpaceX, which are crowding us out of Low Earth Orbit and consuming scarce orbital resources like spectrum — a direct threat to our sovereignty in space.
And we see it as others race ahead of us in building out their capabilities in our orbits.
For too long, Europe’s ambition in space has lagged behind.
But I am glad — with my friend, Commissioner Kubilius, our first Space Commissioner — that is finally beginning to change.
This is the second space conference we have seen each other at in as many weeks.
I think that is a testament to how important he knows space is.
For European competitiveness.
And for European security.
Europe faces many challenges in space.
But there are three that I would like to focus on today.
The first challenge is reliance.
Europe’s dependency on foreign actors — primarily the United States — for key capabilities.
For launchers. For Earth observation.
And for ISR — Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance.
We must ensure that Europe has these capabilities — which are essential for our defence — independent of the United States.
We have seen the United States cut off satellite imagery to Ukraine.
And we cannot allow that to happen here.
Europe must be able to stand on its own feet.
Which brings me to my second point: Hesitation.
There is far too much timidity from European leaders about going big on defence in and from space.
The inclusion of a Space Shield in Defence Readiness 2030 was a welcome step.
But we must deepen the cooperation between the EU and ESA when it comes to security and defence.
Space technology is dual-use. Which means ESA has a critical role to play in the defence of Europe.
The European Resilience from Space program is an excellent example of how this deeper cooperation can work — bringing together ESA’s technical expertise with the EU’s political weight.
Our adversaries treat space as a battlefield.
They are developing weapons to jam, dazzle, and destroy our satellites.
And they are building constellations that give them real-time intelligence and a global reach.
We need assets to protect our systems in orbit — but also capabilities that deliver services from space to our forces on land, at sea, and in the air.
Space is an expensive domain.
Which means member states cannot go about addressing our vulnerabilities alone.
Doing so will lead to duplication — to less-effective solutions at a higher cost.
We need a European-level approach.
One that ensures we have the capabilities to match those of Russia and China.
Defensively…
And, when required, offensively.
The third challenge we face is a simple one: Money.
We must spend more.
Much more.
Europe’s per capita space spending is eight times less than the United States, and half that of Japan.
In the private sector, we are lagging far, far behind the United States.
Our private sector investment is one-fourth that of America’s.
Our startups are being starved of funding.
And we risk a drain of our brightest space minds at a time when they are needed more than ever.
Fortunately, there is a solution.
In the United States, defence accounts for roughly 60 per cent of space spending. Compared to just 15 per cent in Europe.
If we are to develop our space capabilities, we need to tap into our defence and security budgets.
As one example, I have called for a Nordic satellite constellation for surveillance and secure communications.
One that would spread costs, strengthen our collective defence, and boost our regional space industries at a moment when we are on the geopolitical frontlines.
And I believe we need a European-level space industrial policy.
One that will drive the growth of our space industry — in recognition of its fundamental role in our security.
SpaceX is essential to the US defence and intelligence communities.
Yet we do not have our own answer.
Brussels, we have a problem.
We must find a way to create new space champions.
And support those who are already working to scale.
LiveEO in Germany.
ICEYE in Finland.
Gomspace in my native Denmark.
And so many other new European leaders.
We need to back them with new funding. New ambition.
And new policies that will encourage the growth of our space sector as a pillar of European security.
Ladies and gentlemen —
The European space sector employs over 60,000 skilled workers — and it generates more than 78 billion euros of value to the wider global economy.
We have world-class institutions and we are home to some of the world’s best researchers.
I believe in our potential in space.
That is why I was a proud member of ESA’s High Level Advisory Group.
And it is why I have created a Global Space Council — made up of experts and astronauts from around the world.
We are working to address the crisis being driven by private companies leading the overcrowding of our orbits and the overconsumption of spectrum.
A crisis made possible by outdated rules — dating back to the early days of the Cold War — which have created a dangerous wild west in our orbits.
We need new governmental action and market access rules — and we will be calling on European governments to lead the way.
On the challenges Europe faces, we must act.
If we do not act — and act with urgency — we will be left at the mercy of…
American technology…
Russian and Chinese autocrats…
And erratic American billionaires.
As we increase our defence spending on Earth, we must rapidly increase our investments in space.
We must develop the technologies we need to defend Europe’s sovereignty — working with partners who share our values.
And we must create more opportunities for Europe’s brightest minds here on Earth — to enhance our security and create greater prosperity for us all.
So I will conclude with a quote.
From a great space leader — a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
He said: Do, or do not. There is no try.
Europe is at a critical juncture — and may we rise to the moment together.
Thank you very much.