Juan Carlos Cortés Pulido, director of the Spanish Space Agency: “Spain is among the top 10 countries in the world in space matters”

 

January 23 | Spain can proudly say that it is among the top 10 countries in the world in space matters, but complacency is not good and there is room for improvement. This has been stated by Mr. Juan Carlos Cortes Pulido, director of the Spanish Space Agency. “In fact, when we look at parameters such as per capita investment, we fall to 17th place. This is something we know perfectly well and which is in the process of being resolved. In fact, since 2019, there has been a very strong increase of 50% of the quota that Spain channels through the European Space Agency, which is currently at 300 million euros and will be in the investment cycle in 2025,” he noted during the meeting. informative breakfast on the role of the Spanish Space Agency in the new order, organized by the Club Dialogues for Democracy sponsored by AICOX Soluciones, GMV, HISDESAT, HISPASAT, INDRA Group and Grupo OESIA.

Furthermore, Cortés Pulido has announced that the Spanish Space Agency has three objectives: “to design a National Space Policy – which will set objectives and priorities – to draft the State Space Strategy – which we will discuss with all the actors in the sector, both public and private, so that the strategy is not the agency’s strategy but the state strategy – and to present the draft of the Space Law ”.

Regarding Donald Trump ‘s return to the US government, the director of the Spanish Space Agency stressed that “it is an important component, because he has an approach where he is going to promote technology. He announced it yesterday with the investment in AI, and space is at the heart of technology. If we do not take any action in this regard, the gap between Europe and the United States will widen, it will become immense.”

Along these lines, Cortés Pulido also pointed out that “Europe needs a different geopolitical approach that maximises the investment that all European countries make.”

On regulation , the director of the Spanish Space Agency has stated that “space is saturated. There are 14 thousand satellites – between active and inert – and only since 2019 the number of active satellites has multiplied by 5, which is really worrying. It is necessary to regulate, since the last complete regulation of space activity dates back to 1967.”

Asked about the reasons for the creation of a State Space Agency, Cortés Pulido stressed that “space has been a public good, although less and less so, and there has traditionally been a market failure, because the market was not able to allocate resources efficiently without public intervention. This has meant that the strategic component of space, together with the market failure, has generated space agencies. The agency has a management approach, not an execution approach, because we do not want to compete with the sector, but rather to create the conditions for its development. The biggest challenge facing the agency is that we have inherited an extraordinary sector and capabilities that must be strengthened and multiplied.”

The meeting also included Mr. Pedro Duque, President of HISPASAT, He stated that: “the space sector is currently undergoing a period of great transformation, in which Europe needs to redefine and boost its geostrategic positioning, as demonstrated by the launch of the IRIS2 programme. In this context, Spain must act in a coordinated manner, coordinating the common interests of its business network and strengthening its competitive position. The Spanish Space Agency has arrived at this moment of great importance to represent the interests of our country, uniting the efforts of the different ministries on the international stage.”

For his part, Mr. Fernando García Martínez-Peñalver, director of INDRA Espacio, stressed that “space is going through a complex moment. We have the paradox that we are experiencing the greatest growth, the greatest strategic importance in history, and yet the most traditional space sector is suffering, as there are dropouts and new people imposing new rules. In this context, INDRA has opted to do things differently, in a European way, and to be able to participate in this transformation of space that is happening in Europe and in Spain. For this reason, the role of the State Space Agency is very important, as well as a challenge.”

Mr. Santiago Bolíbar Piñeiro, president of HISDESAT, has announced that next Tuesday, January 28, the launch of the Spanish satellite SpainSat NG I will take place, a program that will protect the communications of the Armed Forces from the geostationary orbit. “This launch is an example of the evolution of the Spanish space industry, which has gone from being insignificant to having the most advanced systems in Europe and the world.”

Mr. Carlos Laborda Contreras, President of AICOX Solutions, He stated that “space is emerging as humanity’s new frontier, a strategic area where exploration, technological innovation and international collaboration are intertwined. The recent creation of the Spanish Space Agency marks a historic milestone that positions our country on the global stage of the space sector. At Aicox, we reaffirm our commitment to developing capabilities and projects that drive technological progress and social well-being. This forum is a privileged space to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that this new spatial order holds for us.”

Mr. Enrique Fraga Moreira, GMV’s General Manager of EST Space Systems, has expressed his gratitude for the progress made by the Spanish Space Agency since its creation and has expressed his confidence that this organisation “will continue to strengthen itself in order to achieve full operation and consolidate its strategic role.” He also stressed the importance of the growing collaboration with the European Space Agency, whose commitment is expected to be ratified at the next ministerial conference. Fraga also highlighted the need for “a solid industrial space policy that promotes national programmes and reinforces Spain’s competitiveness in the sector, allowing it to successfully face the challenges and opportunities of a constantly evolving global panorama.”

Mr. Luis Furnells, CEO of the OESIA Group, has highlighted “the Oesía Group’s commitment to the space sector, through the development of solutions in on-board electronics, photonics, secure connectivity, broadband satellite communications and situational awareness, implementing a well-defined strategy based on four axes: hyper-specialization, investment in key and dual disruptive technologies, technological alliances with industry leaders and internationalization of our products.”

Finally, Mr. Antonio Gavilanes, president of the Club Dialogues for Democracy, concluded that “space has been an important exploration that has increased the sense of globalization in world society, as well as increased research and innovation, something fundamental because it has a direct application to civil society.”

Sponsored by AICOX Soluciones, GMV, HISDESAT, HISPASAT, INDRA Group and Grupo OESIA, the Club Dialogues for Democracy has organized this event as a meeting point for debate and analysis on the role of the Spanish Space Agency in the new order.