Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic
In ten years, the global space economy could triple in size. Europe wants to remain at the forefront of this sector, but risks being left behind if words are not matched by action, said EU Commissioner for Space and Defence Andrius Kubilius.
ADVERTISEMENTEuropean Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has called for the EU to adopt a “big bang” approach to space, injecting investment along lines similar to new priorities on defence, speaking at the the 17th European Space Conference in Brussels. Kubilius said he wanted Europe to be a leader in the space industry, but admitted that the budget is still limited and fragmented and that the bloc risks falling behind if it does not act. “Our public spending on space is too low and also fragmented. Making big, ambitious, long-term projects is very difficult,” the former Lithuanian prime minister told the audience on Tuesday. Kubilius stressed that the EU Commission expects to reach an agreement on new funding for space in the next long-term budget (2028-34), the so-called Multiannual Financial Framework, which will be negotiated from the summer of 2025. But that is as far as the EU executive has gone on funding needs, as it currently has no figures on how much money the bloc needs to remain competitive against global powers such as the US and China. Timo Pesonen, director-general of the Directorate-General for Defence, Industry and Space, said that thorough assessment of needs, capabilities what Europe should be doing better is needed. Then there will be estimates of funding needs, and in the meantime Europe will have to mobilise funding from both public and private sources. Josef Asbacher, head of the European Space Agency (ESA), agreed on the need to increase funding at ESA and EU level to realise Europe’s full potential. Europe’s share of global public funding for space is 11% of the global total (€12 billion) and declining, while the US accounts for 64% of the global total (over €65 billion). When it comes to Europe’s share of global private investment, the figures paint a similar picture, with Europe investing €980 million compared to the €3.6 billion invested by the US. “This is not just an investment in space – it is an investment in security, prosperity and autonomy. It is an investment in the future,” added Asbacher. “We are still on top when it comes to navigation, observation and exploration. But in other areas we are losing ground,” said Kubilius, adding that structural problems are holding the EU back. For example, Europe has lost its leading market position in commercial launchers (Ariane 4-5) and geostationary satellites – even forcing the EU to temporarily rely on US SpaceX rockets to launch its satellites. In recent years, the EU has also fallen behind in space activities and faced significant disruptions in the supply chain, resulting in the industry becoming less profitable, with lower sales and more reliant on components such as semiconductors and detectors, according to Mario Draghi’s report on competitiveness. In response, Kubilius has outlined the EU’s roadmap to remain a space power: continue to develop space flagships, launch an EU space industrial strategy to be innovative and competitive, ensure autonomous access to space, create a stronger link between defence and space, and increase investment. “We need to say: buy European, and we need to say: buy bulk,” Kubilius concluded. “Industry needs clear orders.”
