Latest news with #IRIS²
Euractiv
4 days ago
- Business
- Euractiv
MEPs push back against lack of dedicated EU space budget
Despite strong efforts by MEPs to secure a dedicated space budget line in the European Commission's new near €2 trillion spending plan for 2028–2034, no such provision appears in the proposal tabled on 16 July. The Commission has instead decided to merge numerous funds into a single €451 billion European Competitiveness Fund so it can be more adaptable to shifting political priorities. "Europe will miss the opportunity to assert its sovereignty in space," French socialist MEP and vice-chair of the sky and space intergroup, François Kalfon, told Euractiv of the decision to scrap a specific space pot. French centrist and former rapporteur for the secure telecommunications satellites regulation covering the IRIS² programme, Christophe Grudler, also said that the European Parliament is seeking to amend the proposal, adding: "You cannot just hand out billions blindly." Last month, a group of cross-party, space-focused MEPs had urged the Commission to allocate a dedicated €60 billion space budget in the next MFF, or multiannual financial framework, matching the industry's top estimates for funding the bloc's space ambitions. Unlike other industries, space companies provide satellites and maintenance services to the EU's operational constellations – such as Earth observation program Copernicus, geolocation system Galileo, and the upcoming secure communications system IRIS². The lack of a dedicated space budget is a U-turn for an industry which has become accustomed to planning investments around predictable public procurement by the EU, set in stone since 2021 in a space funding scheme of €18.7 billion. Under the new approach, the Commission has allocated €131 billion to "resilience and security, defence industry, and space" – but without any breakdown between different budget lines. This means the budget for space is unknown and could fluctuate based on changing priorities. The decision to cut out a dedicated space envelope has drawn swift criticisms from MEPs considering that without a dedicated budget line the bloc's space industry could struggle to plan major investments to operate and maintain the bloc's three major constellations. (nl)
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Britain and France invest €1.5B in Eutelsat to rival SpaceX Starlink
LONDON: Britain has announced a €163.3 million investment in satellite operator Eutelsat, joining France in a major financial push to strengthen Europe's space capabilities. The move aims to counter SpaceX's Starlink dominance and enhance sovereign satellite communications. The French government is set to become Eutelsat's largest shareholder with a €750 million injection, raising its stake to 29.65%. Britain's investment ensures it retains its 10.89% stake and avoids dilution from France's earlier recapitalisation plan. British Science and Technology Minister Peter Kyle highlighted the strategic importance of resilient satellite connectivity for national security. 'As our adversaries increasingly use space technologies to harm us, resilient satellite connectivity has become essential to our continent's security,' he said. Eutelsat's shares surged 10% in early Paris trading following the announcement. The company, which operates 34 geostationary satellites and over 600 low Earth orbit satellites, is the second-largest constellation provider after Starlink. The deal could also pave the way for Britain's participation in the EU's IRIS² satellite project, where Eutelsat is a key contractor. Britain initially invested in Eutelsat's subsidiary OneWeb in 2020 as part of a $1 billion bailout before the merger with Eutelsat last year. France's President Emmanuel Macron thanked Britain for its contribution during his state visit. The total recapitalisation now stands at €1.5 billion, reinforcing Europe's push for independent space infrastructure amid rising geopolitical tensions.
The Star
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Britain to invest 163 million euros in France's Eutelsat, Les Echos reports
FILE PHOTO: Eutelsat Group logo is pictured at their Paris headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo (Reuters) -Britain will invest 163 million euros (140.49 million pounds) in French satellite operator Eutelsat, Les Echos reported on Thursday, citing an Elysee source, after a much bigger cash injection by France to help it compete with SpaceX's Starlink. French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a two-day state visit to the UK, in a post on X thanked Britain as it continues to "follow us on the Eutelsat adventure". "We're over the moon to keep going with you. Together we go further!," Macron said. Eutelsat and the British and French governments could not immediately be reached for comment. The French state will become the largest shareholder in Eutelsat later this year and is leading a 1.35 billion euro capital increase to support the debt-laden company. By investing 163 million euros, Britain will maintain its 10.9% stake in Eutelsat, Les Echos said, avoiding dilution from the recapitalisation announced in June. The investment will bring the recapitalisation to a total of 1.5 billion euros, it added. It could also open the door to Britain's involvement in the European Union's IRIS² satellite constellation project, for which Eutelsat is one of the main contractors, the report said. Britain became a shareholder in satellite operator OneWeb in 2020 as part of a $1 billion bailout alongside investor Bharti Space, before OneWeb merged with Eutelsat in 2023. (1 British pound = 1.1602 euros) (Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro and Mathieu Rosemain; Additional reporting by Elizabeth Pineau in Paris and Muvija M in London; Editing by Barbara Lewis)
Euractiv
02-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Commission wants to align Europe-wide quantum efforts
Europe has an edge in quantum research but the Commission is keen to build on early academic advances via a strategy released today that puts the focus on the race to commercialise. A lot of money will be made using quantum computing in the coming years as the technology is expected to solve so-far impossible data processing problems. But Europe's quantum efforts remain "fragmented across Member States and instruments", per the Commission strategy – resulting in duplication and competition for talent. Standing behind the strategy is a worry that Europe risks falling short on quantum – "without coordination and a clear focus on shared strategic priorities," the document warns. The Commission's new initiative for quantum computing aims to tackle this risk with moves to support foundational research and invest in new hardware and applications in 'key public and industrial sectors'. This year, the Commission plans to launch six first quantum pilot lines to financially support projects from prototyping up to an industrial use case. Public bodies like hospitals will also be encouraged to buy quantum applications through EU procurement schemes – as well as 'tailored financial incentives'. More broadly, the strategy aims to coordinate the work of Commission and member states – to align efforts across the bloc. The EU and member states are already building computers using a range of quantum technologies, making sure they'll have a foot in whichever one ends up being widely adopted. Under the Commission strategy, existing quantum computers – such as the one inaugurated within Europe's high performance computing network just last week – will be expanded and new ones built. The strategy also says Europe should be ready for post-quantum encryption by 2035 – as the technology is set to make conventional encryption methods obsolete. (Member States released a roadmap on this issue just last week.) Within five years, member states should be quantum-linked to each other and to a network of satellites under the EuroQCI initiative, part of the IRIS² programme. The Commission will publish its draft for a Quantum Act in the coming year, which is expect to set out fuller details of the planned programme. EU lawmakers are responding to the plan by underscoring how quantum will have a critical role to play in boosting tech sovereignty. For that, the Commission "has to make sure that the EU states will reduce fragmentation and support the scaling of market-ready applications," urged Matthias Ecke, S&D delegate in the Parliament's industrial committee. (nl)
Euronews
02-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
EU Commissioner calls for more of long-term budget for space projects
The EU's next long-term budget (2028–34), currently set at €1.2 trillion, should dedicate more funding to space projects to reduce reliance on the US and bolster the bloc's strategic autonomy, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius told Euronews' EU Decoded program. 'We know the needs, and the needs are much bigger than what we have now in this Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2021–27),' Kubilius said, adding that simply maintaining existing systems will require investing more than the current €17 billion allocated to space. The former Lithuanian Prime Minister argued that Europe remains 'quite heavily reliant' on key strategic services from the US, and that the continent urgently needs to develop more of its own space intelligence data systems. The EU is currently developing the IRIS² project, an €11 billion initiative aiming to create a secure, multi-orbital satellite network for EU governments and businesses — but new projects are also expected to be launched under the funding of the next MFF. 'We're building our own capacities, and that will cost, so that money should be included in the next MFF,' Kubilius said. 'If we do not allocate enough funding and fail to start developing these projects, by 2035 we may find ourselves in a very unattractive situation,' the Commissioner warned. In recent years, Europe has lost its leading position in the commercial launcher market (Ariane 4–5) and geostationary satellites — even forcing the EU to temporarily rely on US SpaceX rockets to launch its own satellites. According to Mario Draghi's report on competitiveness, the EU has also fallen behind in space activities and suffered major supply chain disruptions. As a result, the industry has become less profitable, with lower sales and increased dependence on components such as semiconductors and detectors. Earlier this year, Kubilius laid out the EU's roadmap to remain a space power: continue developing flagship programs, launch an EU space industrial strategy to foster innovation and competitiveness, ensure autonomous access to space, strengthen ties between defence and space, and boost investment. The Commissioner has already delivered the EU Space Act, aimed at creating a true single market for space activities and data. But whether he succeeds in securing more space funding in the next MFF to fulfill the rest of his agenda remains to be seen. On 16 July, the European Commission is expected to present the first package of its post-2027 long-term budget, when the battle for funds between old and recent EU priorities will begin.
