To infinity and beyond: the European space sector and industrial policy

This is a very special moment for space exploration. The
beginning of April will see the maiden flight of the first
helicopter to another planet. The Artemis accords will mean that
man will be back on the moon before long. The European Space
Agency is building Daedalus, the first robot that will crawl
inside lunar caves. The United Arab Emirates and India have
successfully entered Mars’ orbit on their first try. Elon Musk
has just stated that he will land his starship there before
2030.



We are in the midst of a new space race, this time not as a proxy
of the Cold War of the 60s, but as a multiplication of the
actors, both private as well as state actors across the globe
enter the realm of space.



This week, Giuseppe Porcaro host of The Sound of Economics (and
self acclaimed 'space geek') and Reinhilde Veugelers, senior
fellow at Bruegel, have the pleasure of hosting Michel Praet,
Head of the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Brussels Office, Jérôme
Béquignon and Eleni Paliouras, also from ESA’s EU Relations
Office for this episode. They discuss the position of the
European Space sector in this brave new world, what the
consequences are for industrial and innovation policy, and also
take a closer look at the institutional set up which should
foster this innovation.



A transcription is available for this episode.



Disclaimer:


Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all our podcasts are recorded
remotely. We apologise in advance for the sound quality and thank
you for your understanding.