Catalonia claims the potential of its space ecosystem to host the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in 2029
• The IAC is the most important space congress globally, gathering around 15,000 representatives from space agencies worldwide every year
• The ‘Barcelona IAC 2029’ candidacy is supported by the Government of Spain, through the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), and the Government of Catalonia, in collaboration with the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)
• Under the motto ‘Water Resilience from Space’, the candidacy addresses one of the most urgent global challenges of our time with a comprehensive approach that aims to appeal to all stakeholders in the global space ecosystem
Yesterday, Tuesday 8 July, the official presentation of the candidacy for Barcelona to host the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in three years’ time took place. The event, held in front of the Catalan space ecosystem at the Llotja de Mar in the Catalan capital, was attended by the Minister for Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, and the Director of Programmes and Industry at the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), Cecilia Hernández.
The ‘Barcelona IAC 2029’ candidacy is co-led by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Government of Spain, through the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), and the Ministry of Business and Labour of the Government of Catalonia, through the Secretariat for Digital Policies, and in collaboration with the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC).
In just a few years, Catalonia has consolidated one of the most dynamic emerging space ecosystems in Southern Europe, with strong business growth, the capacity to attract investment, the leadership and support of the Catalonia Space 2030 Strategy promoted by the Government, and a clear commitment to becoming a relevant player in the new European space economy.
According to Minister Sàmper, “Catalonia has the ambition and the assets to lead the future of space, a highly strategic sector. For this reason, the Government is promoting the Catalonia Space 2030 Strategy to contribute to European technological sovereignty in this field. As part of this commitment, we are running as the ideal venue to host the IAC, the world’s most important space congress, in 2029.”
The ‘Barcelona IAC 2029’ candidacy, a strategic opportunity
The candidacy was officially submitted to the IAF at the end of April 2026. From then until the final vote, which will take place in October in Turkey during the IAC 2026, it must carry out an intense international campaign for promotion, support gathering, and presentations to IAF members. In this regard, over the last two months, it has already been defended in various international forums within the sector held in Belfast, Vienna, and Brussels.
In this sense, according to Minister Sàmper, Barcelona’s candidacy for the IAC 2029 “is a strategic opportunity to further grow the Catalan space ecosystem, attract investment, business, and global recognition”, as it allows the region to position itself as a relevant player in the global space ecosystem, generate economic, scientific, and reputational impact; connect space, industry, and digitalisation with major global challenges such as climate change, sustainability, or data; and act as a lever for the growth and international projection of the local space and technological ecosystem.
The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) gathers around 15,000 representatives every year from space agencies worldwide, large companies, startups, and innovative industries, academic institutions, universities, and technology and research centres, as well as governments and international organisations, consolidating itself as the benchmark event and the main global meeting point for the sector.
The Catalan space sector, a driver of growth and job creation
The space technologies sector in Catalonia already comprises 83 companies generating a turnover of €237 million (2024 data). This is one of the main conclusions of a study by ACCIÓ—the agency for business growth of the Ministry of Business and Labourl—carried out in collaboration with the Secretariat for Digital Policies and the IEEC. According to the report, the number of companies in this sector has more than tripled since 2019, and these companies already employ a total of 1,822 people.
The space technologies sector in Catalonia is mostly made up of SMEs, which represent 88% of the total number of companies, and features a significant entrepreneurial fabric, as 29% are startups. Furthermore, it is a growing sector: more than half of the companies (51%) are less than 10 years old, and 21% of the companies exceed €10 million in turnover. The report also highlights the international outward orientation of the sector, with 33% of exporting companies and 13% of subsidiaries of foreign companies.
Regarding the links in the value chain, 40% of the companies operate in activities linked to Earth observation. They are followed by technology and consulting providers (29%), companies specialised in telecommunications and cybersecurity (21%), and component providers (17%).
In terms of funding raised by startups in the sector, the report underlines that Barcelona has positioned itself as the fourth city in the European Union in terms of attracting private investment over the last five-year period (2021–2025), trailing only Toulouse, Berlin, and Munich. Specifically, the Catalan startups Sateliot, Pangea Propulsion, Kreios Space, Aistech Space, Fregata Space, and EarthPulse have raised a total of $113 million across a total of 13 funding rounds.
The study also identifies the main opportunities in the field of space technologies: boosting the sector through an ecosystem based on synergies between companies, technology centres, and universities to move towards an innovative economic model that generates high-value-added services; the potential of Earth observation and the use of space data for environmental sustainability; the development of new business models linked to the data economy; technology transfer and cross-cutting innovation towards strategic sectors such as energy, mobility, or health; and strengthening the territory’s capacity to attract international talent and investment.
At the same time, the report points out significant challenges, such as the need to consolidate and scale the business fabric, advance a clear regulatory framework for space data management, reinforce the recruitment of specialised talent, have local launch infrastructures, and ensure the sustainable development of the sector in the face of the growing challenge of space debris.
The document also analyses the international space context: it concludes that in 2026 the global market for space technologies will exceed $550,000 million and forecasts a year-on-year growth of 7.9% until 2030.
About the IEEC
The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC — Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya) promotes and coordinates space research and technology development in Catalonia for the benefit of society. IEEC fosters collaborations both locally and worldwide and is an efficient agent of knowledge, innovation and technology transfer. As a result of more than 25 years of high-quality research, done in collaboration with major international organisations, IEEC ranks among the best international research centres, focusing on areas such as: astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, and Earth Observation. IEEC’s engineering division develops instrumentation for ground- and space-based projects, and has extensive experience in working with private or public organisations from the aerospace and other innovation sectors.
The IEEC is a non-profit public sector foundation that was established in February 1996. It has a Board of Trustees composed of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC), and the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). The IEEC is also a CERCA centre.