By Kim Rathcke Jensen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

Some of the leading names in the Danish and European space sector will meet at the conference in Aalborg on 20–21 October.

The conference reflects Denmark’s high ambitions in space, and a Europe aiming to play a greater international role at a time when the race for great power influence and technological dominance is intensifying.

Prominent names

The focus of the conference is Europe’s future and growing strength in the space domain, and therefore the speaker list features prominent names. Among them are EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius; Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund; astronaut and Head of the European Astronaut Corps, Andreas Mogensen. The conference will also be attended by former Danish Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen; Director-General for Defence Industry and Space at the European Commission, Timo Pesonen; and ESA astronaut and Chief Innovation Officer at SAAB, Marcus Wandt.

The conference is organized by Aalborg University and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and is part of the program under the Danish EU Presidency.

According to Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science, the importance of European capabilities in the space domain cannot be overstated.

Space important arena

"In a very short time, space has become one of the most important political arenas. Whether we talk about climate, security, or jobs, space plays a role. From a European perspective, there is no doubt that we must be able to do more on our own, and this autumn both the EU Space Law and the EU space program will be on the negotiation table. I look forward to discussing these topics and meeting some of the brightest minds in the field at the conference in Aalborg," says Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science.

The conference will take place in North Jutland, which has a strong research and innovation environment within the space industry, centered around approximately 25 space companies employing more than 800 people. At the heart of this ecosystem is Aalborg University, Denmark’s leader in space technology and satellite development, and home to some of the world’s most cited researchers.

“Aalborg University began conducting research in space technology in the 1990s, and in 2003 we launched a program that enabled students to send a nanosatellite into orbit – a first for a Danish university. Since then, we have focused on research and innovation in the space field, and several of the largest Danish space companies have grown out of AAU. For example, in satellite research we have some of the most cited scholars in the world, and in the coming years we are ready to strengthen Denmark’s and Europe’s future in space,” says Per Michael Johansen, Rector of Aalborg University.