The official opening of ILA Space Day 2026 then turned firmly towards the future. Under the theme Space4Future, representatives from ESA, DLR, BDLI and the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space came together to discuss the developments likely to shape space activities in the years ahead. In this context, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher pointed to the opportunities ahead in areas such as security, in-orbit services and exploration, while underlining that Europe’s future in space will depend not only on technology, but also on the talent, motivation and shared vision that drive the sector forward.

That forward-looking perspective continued in the German-Italian Aerospace Forum, which explored how Europe can combine resilient Earth observation with secure satellite connectivity to improve monitoring, decision-making and the resilience of space-enabled services. In his keynote speech, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher stressed that these are strategic capabilities for Europe’s security, competitiveness and sovereignty, and that their full value depends on stronger European cooperation: connecting national strengths within a common framework to build greater autonomy and resilience for the whole continent.