The third edition of the Greek Space Tech Forum 2026 (#GSTF26) is being held during a landmark year for Greece’s space sector, as the country marks 20 years of membership in the European Space Agency (ESA) and completes its National Microsatellites Programme, funded through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
The event also comes shortly after Greece doubled its national contribution to ESA programmes, a move expected to pave the way for greater participation in European space projects and attract larger-scale initiatives to the country.
The conference is expected to bring together government officials and representatives of Greece’s expanding space industry to discuss opportunities and challenges for further growth, while strengthening links between the domestic space ecosystem, key sectors of the Greek economy and international partners across the European Union, Southeast Mediterranean and Middle East regions.
Among the speakers is Christina Giannopapa, Head of Cabinet of the Executive Director at the European Union Agency for the Space Programme, the EU agency responsible for the operational management of the bloc’s space programme.
EUSPA ensures the continuous provision of Europe’s satellite navigation services and promotes the commercial exploitation of data and services generated by the EU’s flagship space programmes, including Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus. The agency is also involved in the development of secure satellite communications through the GOVSATCOM and IRIS² initiatives.
According to organizers, the European space programme has made significant progress in recent years, delivering advanced services in satellite navigation, Earth observation and telecommunications. It has also contributed to the development of both the manufacturing industry that builds space systems and businesses that utilize space-based data and services.
In an interview with Naftemporiki.gr, Giannopapa highlighted Greece’s position within the European and global space ecosystem, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the country’s emerging space industry as it seeks to expand its role in the rapidly growing sector.
Our role is to connect space capabilities with real-world user needs. This means continuing to enhance the Galileo and EGNOS services while supporting their adoption across transport, aviation, maritime operations, emergency response and agriculture, as well as other sectors critical to security and economic activity.
It also means accelerating the use of Copernicus data and services, particularly in areas such as climate resilience, environmental monitoring, civil protection and sustainable economic development.
Security remains another key priority. The deployment of GOVSATCOM services and the further development of the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST) system are crucial for strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy, resilience and ability to protect critical infrastructure.
Looking ahead, EUSPA will continue to invest in innovation and market development. “We will support startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, research organizations and public authorities in developing practical downstream applications based on European space data and services.”
Programmes such as CASSINI, innovation challenges, business incubation initiatives and partnerships with national ecosystems will remain central tools in this effort.
“Our objective is clear: to make European space services more accessible, more secure and more valuable, both for everyday life and for Europe’s broader strategic priorities,” she stated.
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