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Invested by Europe

Invested by Europe

Space is critical infrastructure: European Commission's Lorena Boix Alonso

Oct 4, 2026 · 20 min · 9 segments

The European Commission owns and runs Galileo and Copernicus, the space systems behind everything from your morning weather forecast to flood rescue operations. We hear from Lorena Boix Alonso, Deputy…

The European Commission owns and runs Galileo and Copernicus, the space systems behind everything from your morning weather forecast to flood rescue operations. We hear from Lorena Boix Alonso, Deputy Director General for Space at the European Commission, about why space is now critical infrastructure, why Europe's strategic autonomy depends on it, and why the new space race is nothing like the old one. With the geopolitical landscape shifting fast and investment urgency growing, Lorena makes a good case for space as the single best argument for why Europe works better together. * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The European Commission owns and runs Galileo and Copernicus, the space systems behind everything from your morning weather forecast to flood rescue operations. We hear from Lorena Boix Alonso, Deputy…

Speakers: Lorena Boix AlonsoGuestMattHost

Top entities: Europe×40 European Union×12 European Commission×10 PLD Space×2 European Space Agency×8

What the Commission Does in Space0:44 – 2:21

M

MattHost

0:44

So when people think about Europe and space, they obviously think the European Space Agency.

M

MattHost

0:50

They know something about that.

M

MattHost

0:51

But what is the Commission's involvement in space?

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

0:55

You're right about it.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

0:57

I don't think that when people think about the European Commission, they normally don't think about space.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:03

It is certainly the European Space Agency, and I would say rightly so.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:07

But there are many things that the Commission is doing in space.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:11

We are very well known to be regulators and policy makers.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:16

I think people know us for that.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:18

And we do that in space as well.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:20

So we do the legislations, we do the policy making and that is good because in a way what we try to make sure is that what is going on in space is to serve the citizen and it's to, in a way, provide input to all of the policies that we do in the European Union.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:39

But we do more than that and it's a bit more exciting, that regulating, because actually the European Union owns the space systems.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:48

We think about satellites, Galileo, Copernicus, but nobody realises, I think, that we own those and we are managing those and funding as well.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:03

But of course, we need the European Space Agency.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:05

Absolutely.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:05

We could not do this without them.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:07

They have thousands of engineers that we badly need.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:11

So they really are there to provide the technological engine to help us to develop all these.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:18

So we do much more than people think.

EuropeContinentContinent
97%40 mentions
European UnionAdministrative AreaSupranational political union
92%12 mentions
European CommissionGovernment OrganizationAdministrative body
87%10 mentions
PLD SpaceCompanyCompany
82%2 mentions
European Space AgencyCompanyGovernment agency
76%8 mentions
UkraineCountryCountry in Europe
71%3 mentions
EarthPlacePlanet
66%3 mentions
AcastCompanyAdvertising agency company
61%2 mentions
European Investment BankOrganizationBank
53%2 mentions
European Investment FundCompanyFinancial institution company
53%2 mentions
United StatesCountryCountry in North America
45%3 mentions
Space Exploration Technologies Corp.CompanyAerospace company
39%1 mention
Space industryEntity
34%1 mention
Soviet UnionCountryCountry
29%2 mentions
IRIS²Entity
24%1 mention
ChinaCountryCountry in East Asia
18%1 mention
RussiaCountryCountry
13%2 mentions
BrusselsEntityCapital of Belgium
8%1 mention
ElcheEntityCity in Spain
3%2 mentions

EU space policyGovernment > European Union
Galileo and Copernicus programsGovernment > European Union > EU space policy
Public satellite services for citizensGovernment > European Union > EU space policy > Galileo and Copernicus programs
Satellite systemsTechnology > Space technology
Navigation and Earth observation satellitesTechnology > Space technology > Satellite systems
Space economyEconomics
European space industryEconomics > Space economy
Space-sector investment and spillover marketsEconomics > Space economy > European space industry
Economic returns from satellite data and servicesEconomics > Space economy > European space industry > Space-sector investment and spillover markets
Strategic autonomyGeopolitics
European space sovereigntyGeopolitics > Strategic autonomy
Space securityMilitary
Critical space infrastructureMilitary > Space security
European UnionGovernment
Space technologyTechnology
Economics
Technology
Government
Military
Geopolitics

What the Commission Does in Space0:44 – 2:21

M

MattHost

0:44

So when people think about Europe and space, they obviously think the European Space Agency.

M

MattHost

0:50

They know something about that.

M

MattHost

0:51

But what is the Commission's involvement in space?

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

0:55

You're right about it.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

0:57

I don't think that when people think about the European Commission, they normally don't think about space.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:03

It is certainly the European Space Agency, and I would say rightly so.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:07

But there are many things that the Commission is doing in space.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:11

We are very well known to be regulators and policy makers.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:16

I think people know us for that.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:18

And we do that in space as well.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:20

So we do the legislations, we do the policy making and that is good because in a way what we try to make sure is that what is going on in space is to serve the citizen and it's to, in a way, provide input to all of the policies that we do in the European Union.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:39

But we do more than that and it's a bit more exciting, that regulating, because actually the European Union owns the space systems.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

1:48

We think about satellites, Galileo, Copernicus, but nobody realises, I think, that we own those and we are managing those and funding as well.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:03

But of course, we need the European Space Agency.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:05

Absolutely.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:05

We could not do this without them.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:07

They have thousands of engineers that we badly need.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:11

So they really are there to provide the technological engine to help us to develop all these.

Lorena Boix AlonsoGuest

2:18

So we do much more than people think.

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