Program

The roundtable will examine how Europe can mobilise more private and institutional capital for the rapidly converging space and defence sectors. The discussion will address the investment gap between early-stage innovation and industrial scale-up, the role of venture capital, public financing and strategic investors, and the conditions needed to make European companies more investable and globally competitive. Particular attention will be given to dual-use technologies, procurement-driven growth, and new financing instruments supporting companies from seed stage to expansion. The panel will also explore how stronger cooperation between investors, European institutions and industry can accelerate the emergence of a more resilient and sovereign European space and defence ecosystem.

The panel will explore how defence and space companies can translate technological capability into commercially viable, deployable solutions and successfully compete for international contracts. The discussion will address the critical steps between prototype, qualification and procurement, including certification, customer validation, strategic partnerships, supply-chain integration and access to finance. Particular attention will be given to the role of OEMs, national champions, export financing institutions and European financial actors in helping innovative companies scale beyond their domestic markets. The session will also examine how SMEs and dual-use technology providers can position themselves more effectively within major defence and space programmes and build sustainable international growth.

The session will present the Atlantic Constellation as a flagship example of regional cooperation in Earth Observation, combining SAR and optical satellite capabilities developed jointly by Portugal and Spain. The discussion will explore how the initiative can strengthen sovereign access to critical geospatial data while building national and regional capacity in satellite development, integration and testing. Particular attention will be given to the constellation’s potential applications in defence, security, maritime surveillance, disaster response and environmental monitoring. The session will also consider how public institutions, armed forces and commercial space companies can work together to accelerate capability development and create a more competitive Iberian and European space ecosystem.

The 1:1 Speed Dating Sessions will connect selected space and defence startups and scaleups directly with venture capital investors and leading OEMs in a focused, pre-arranged meeting format. The sessions are designed to create concrete opportunities for investment, strategic partnerships, supplier integration and technology cooperation. Participating companies will have the opportunity to present their capabilities, growth plans and financing needs to relevant decision-makers. The format aims to accelerate high-value introductions and turn conference networking into actionable business opportunities.