The fourth New Space Economy Congress brings together over 900 participants to explore the latest trends in the sector and how it can contribute to the green transition
• Held on July 3 and 4, the congress featured over 70 renowned local and international speakers
• In addition to conferences and roundtables, the event included exhibition areas, networking spaces, and B2B meetings — with more than 300 meetings held between participating entrepreneurs
• The congress was co-organized by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Catalonia, with the support of the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) and other partners
Last week, the fourth edition of the New Space Economy Congress took place, reaffirming its status as a key event in the space sector. Once again, it recorded record participation figures, with over 900 registered attendees from more than 15 countries. This year’s edition not only showcased the latest trends in the industry, but also focused on how space technology can contribute to the green transitiom—with sessions exploring how New Space supports urban development, integrated emergency response, climate management, and natural disaster prevention.
Held at La Llotja de Mar in Barcelona on July 3 and 4, the congress closed with a strong balance that consolidates its role as an international reference for showcasing the strengths of Catalonia’s New Space ecosystem.
Over two days, 74 speakers from 18 different nationalities shared insights and debated the latest developments in areas such as regulation, government strategies, new technologies, and international cooperation. This year’s guest region was Occitanie, known for its well-established infrastructure and industrial expertise in the space domain.
Josep Colomé, Director of the Area for the Promotion of the Space Sector of Catalonia (APEC) at the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), a partner of the congress, moderated an insightful conversation on “New Players in Space: Their Contributions and Responsibilities” with Juan Carlos Cortés, Director of the Spanish Space Agency. Both interventions highlighted the growing importance of new actors in the space domain and the responsibilities that come with it.
On the other hand, among other renowned figures who took part in the congress were Pablo Álvarez, astronaut of the European Space Agency; Rika Nakazawa, Head of Commercial Innovation at NTT Data; Giancarlo Granero, Head of the Space Economy Unit at the European Commission; Stephen McCall, advisor to the United States Senate and Head of Government Affairs at Firefly Aerospace; and Marta Miralles Bover, Head of the GRAF unit of the Catalan Fire Department in the Emergency Regions of Tarragona and Terres de l’Ebre. The congress speaker programme thus provided a cross-cutting view of the uses and applications of space technology, both from the perspective of actors working directly in the space sector and from other fields that can benefit from it.
In parallel with the conferences and round tables, the congress featured an exhibition area where companies in the sector could showcase their solutions and contributions to the new space economy, along with interactive workshops and dedicated networking and B2B spaces to foster connections among attendees and promote knowledge exchange and business opportunities. In total, more than 300 meetings between participants took place during the congress.
The New Space Economy Congress is organised by the Government of Catalonia—through the Secretariat for Digital Policies of the Department of Business and Labour and within the framework of the NewSpace Strategy of Catalonia — and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. It also benefits from the collaboration of the IEEC, along with the i2CAT Research Centre, the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (ICGC), and Knowledge Innovation Market Barcelona (KIMbcn). This year’s edition also featured 16 sponsors and 10 media partners.
Contacts
IEEC Communication Office
Castelldefels, Barcelona
E-mail: comunicacio@ieec.cat
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.