About us

About Eurospace

Eurospace is the trade association of the European space industry. Founded in 1961, we bring together Europe’s leading space companies, representing over 90 % of space systems sales and about 60 % of industry employment in the sector.

Why we started

Our founding mission was, and remains, to give the European space industry a collective voice, to foster collaboration, and to advocate for industry needs with key institutions, from ESA and European national space agencies to EU bodies and national governments.

Mission

Our Mission is: Drive industry growth and competitiveness in policy, R&T, and standards; foster cooperation with institutions; help industry be compliant with EU regulations; and advance public understanding of space’s vital role.

We achieve this by issuing strategic recommendations to our institutional counterparts, providing a constant programmatic and technology watch, and supporting industry working groups and panels shaping policy and technology agendas.

Key Impact Areas

Eurospace plays a vital role in voicing the European space industry concerns to institutional stakeholders such as ESA, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Defence Agency, and national governments. The association actively shapes policy and funding frameworks by providing technical expertise, strategic insights, and consensus-based recommendations from industry. Eurospace also leads efforts in standardisation through its involvement with ECSS, ensuring harmonised, high-quality engineering practices across European space programmes. In addition, it supports industry through its focused working bodies that address critical topics like R&T policy, environmental regulations such as REACH, and strategic cooperation across the EU space value chain.

Why Join Eurospace

Becoming part of Eurospace means joining the collective voice of the European space industry, with direct access to institutional dialogue and influence over future policy, research funding, and industrial priorities. Members benefit from strategic insight, coordinated advocacy, and opportunities to collaborate across the value chain, strengthening competitiveness and supporting innovation. Through Eurospace, companies shape the environment in which they operate, contribute to Europe’s strategic autonomy in space, and promote the long-term growth and visibility of the sector at European and international levels.

Activities and Services

We work to ensure Europe remains a competitive, innovative, and sustainable space leader by:

Policy & Advocacy: representing industry interests at the EU, ESA, and international levels.
Space Economy Expertise: providing members with data-driven insights and analysis on market trends.
Research & Technology: fostering innovation through collaborative projects and knowledge exchange.
Compliance Support: participating to the elaboration of industrial standards and monitoring key regulations directly impacting the space sector industry .
Exclusive Knowledge Library: offering in-depth briefings, position papers, event reports, and official communications; most available exclusively to Eurospace members.

By combining industry collaboration, trusted expertise, and strong advocacy, Eurospace helps shape the future of European space activities.

Liaison and information

Eurospace maintains formal and informal channels of dialogue with ESA, national agencies, and EU institutions, ensuring the European space industry is effectively represented.

Since ESA’s creation, Eurospace has served as its trusted entry point to industry, with a 1987 frame contract enabling advisory support and a 2001 MoU officially recognising Eurospace as the representative body of the European space industry.

With decades of presence in European space policy, Eurospace has built a robust network with institutions such as ESA, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Defence Agency, and key national agencies (e.g., CNES, DLR, ASI, and others). At the EU level, it maintains regular contacts with decision-makers shaping space policy and programmes, including the Commission’s DG DEFIS , ESA Brussels office, Members of the European Parliament, Permanent Representations, Eumetsat, partner associations (, GSOA, EARSC, Nereus, GIFAS, BDLI, AIAD, TEDAE) and think tanks..

These close relationships allow Eurospace to deliver industry positions effectively, anticipate policy developments, and keep members informed on upcoming opportunities and challenges.

Members and Representativeness

Eurospace members are the main European space systems manufacturers and launch services providers. They range from large satellite systems integrators (Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence & Space and OHB) to smaller equipment manufacturers (like Azur Space Solar Power GmbH…), small systems manufacturers (OHB Italy), service operators (Telespazio) to launch systems architect and launcher elements manufacturers (Beyond Gravity, Ariane Group…) or engineering and software services (Sener, CGI, Terma A/S…). Launch service provider Arianespace is also a member.

The Eurospace membership covers 14 European countries. Together they represent more than 90% of the total European industrial turnover in space activities. This makes Eurospace the most representative Association of the Space industry sector in Europe.

Eurospace member companies are listed in our General Presentation, here.

Want to join Eurospace? Find out about our fees and procedures here.

The latest status of Eurospace membership, as approved by the Annual General Assembly, and the composition of our Board is available here. The composition of the Policy Committee is available here.

Team

Olivier Lemaitre

Secretary General

After an MSc in Biology and experiences in nature conservation then in science policy, Olivier got himself lost in space in 2003. First as part of the Belgian delegation to the European Space Agency and also as “space attaché” to the brand new “Space Working Party” of the Council of the EU established in 2010; he later joined the private sector as Head of EU Affairs in Thales Alenia Space, then as Secretary General of Eurospace. In the position as Secretary General, one of his main missions is to ensure that the association provides recommendations to decision-makers that enables them to make the best use of the capabilities and expertise of the European space Industry

Pierre Lionnet

Research & Managing Director

Pierre is Eurospace Director of Research (and General Manager). He is an economist, with under 30 years of experience in the space sector, and a recognised expert of space markets and technology trends.

Pierre has worked on all space subjects, addressing the intricate mixes of technology, economics, policy and strategy.

Pierre regularly gives lectures focusing on space economics to a variety of audiences, including space professionals, members of parliament and students at Masters levels.

Jean-Charles Treuet

Technology Director

Jean-Charles Treuet is Technology Director at EUROSPACE and holds a Master in Aeronautical and Space engineer sciences (IPSA – Polytechnical Institute for Applied Sciences).
He has been working at Eurospace since 2014 where he is in charge of the R&T activities coordination for the European Space sector on Industry side.
Since June 2024, Jean-Charles is also Chairman of the SPACE AISBL association, in charge of the coordination of the Globally Competitive Space System Partnership activities set up with the European Commission.

Charles Galland

Policy Director

Since 2018, Charles Galland has served as Policy Manager at Eurospace, representing the European space industry at the heart of EU and ESA decision-making. He was appointed in 2025 as Policy Director. He specialises in shaping space policy and fostering dialogue between institutions and industry.

Valentin Marie

Compliance Manager

Valentin joined Eurospace in 2023 as Compliance Manager and Research Analyst. He focuses on coordinating industry positions and dialogue with institutions on standardisation and compliance matters, mainly ECSS and REACH.

Nathalie Alecton

Conference & Office Manager

Nathalie joined Eurospace in 2010. Apart from accounting responsibilities, she is Eurospace’s Office and Conferences Manager.

Ilona Zabrytska

EU Policy Analyst

Ilona joined Eurospace as Policy Officer in 2025, where she is dedicated to reinforcing cooperation between European institutions and the space industry. She focuses on building relations with key stakeholders in Brussels, particularly in the European Parliament, where she follows the dossier on the upcoming EU Space Act.

Nédhir Sahli

Database Manager

Nédhir joined Eurospace in 2023 as Database Manager and Research Analyst. Since then, he supervises the quarterly update of Eurospace’s Launch Event Analysis Tool (LEAT) and the various reports that rely on it. Additionally, Nédhir participates in cementing Eurospace’s long-standing expertise on space economy by contributing to the annual Facts & Figures industry survey.

Lea Kessler

Programme Coordinator

Since 2024, Lea has been Project Coordinator at Eurospace, working on the Space Partnership, organisational development, and communications. She focuses on building cooperation across the European space sector and ensuring the industry’s voice is heard in key initiatives.

Budget and personnel

Eurospace activities are carried out with an annual permanent budget of approximately 1 M€-1.5M€, of which approximately 900k€ originates from the membership fees collected. The remaining operating Eurospace budget originates from the performance of external contracts (ESA, CNES, CEN, EDA,…), workshops or conferences’ organisation and publications. This budget covers the core activities of the associations and the costs of permanent structure and personnel in Paris and Brussels.

The managed budget and personnel of Eurospace can grow to support specific targeted action and/or the involvement in contractual activities.

History

Eurospace – a not for profit organisation incorporated under the French law of 1901 – fosters the development of space activities in Europe and promotes a better understanding of space industry related issues and problems. It gathers industry-relevant information and maintains permanent liaison with ESA, EU institutions, National Space Agencies and in general any organisation using or compelling the use of space techniques..

Ever since its foundation, Eurospace has counted the membership of the major industrial space companies in Europe under the chairmanship of charismatic industry leaders such as Mr Delorme (founder President and CEO of L’Air Liquide until 1993), Mr Vallerani (President of Alenia Spazio until 1998), Mr Öfverholm (President of Saab Ericsson Space), Mr Carlier (CEO of Astrium in 2001), Mrs Pascale Sourisse (CEO of Thales Alenia Space), Mr Marco Fuchs (CEO of OHB-System), Mr Jean-Loïc Galle (CEO of Thales Alenia Space), Mr André-Hubert Roussel (CEO of ArianeGroup), Mr Jean-Marc Nasr (Head of Space Systems within Airbus Defence and Space and President of Airbus Defence and Space SAS), up to the current second term ofPresident Marco Fuchs (CEO OHB SE).

Eurospace management structure comprises a Board of Directors, called the “Council” the composition of which reflects the size of each country’s company participation, the General Assembly, thePolicy Committee (PC) which directs the Association’s advocacy strategy established by the Council and monitors the activity of the various working groups and panels, and the Innovation, Research and Technology Committee (IRTC), the technological pendant of the PC. The Council also nominates the President and the Financial Committee members to be elected by the General Assembly, appoints the members of the PC & IRTC and supervises the activities of the latter. A Financial Committee supervises the financial situation and determines the amount of the yearly membership fee to be paid by the companies.

In 2004, Eurospace became the Space Group of ASD (Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe – formerly AECMA), representing space interests. The new aggregated structure allows industry to benefit from existing synergies between aeronautics, space and defence industrial activities.