Portugal pledges the greatest contribution ever to the European Space Agency

Portugal will increase by 51% its financial contribution to the European Space Agency for the 2026-2030 period to a total sum of 204.8 million euros.

This boost shows the country’s commitment to the Space sector and now engages more Government areas. This is the greatest increase ever in the ESA’s multiannual subscription, made in the year that signals 25 years since Portugal joined ESA.

This offer will be presented by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Fernando Alexandre during the ESA Ministerial Council to be held in Bremen, Germany, on 26 and 27 November, which will gather the 23 Member States, associate countries, and the European Commission.

Given the growing impact the Space field has on other sectors, this budget includes participation from the Government areas of the Economy, Defence, Infrastructure, and Environment, as well as the Azorean Regional Government, plus Science and Innovation.

Science and Innovation will ensure the mandatory programmes, namely the Scientific one, and the optional programmes that are more directly linked to scientific missions and collaboration between research centres and tech firms.

The other Government areas and the Azorean Autonomous Region contribute to optional programmes, such as Earth Observation, Space Safety, Space Transport, Communications, Technology, or Resilience.

One of the missions funded is the Space Rider, whose aim is the development of a reusable space vehicle to carry out scientific experiments at microgravity and test service technologies for other space missions.  The vehicle’s return site is off Santa Maria Island in the Azores, setting up a Space Technology Centre.

In the field of Resilience, the Portuguese investment, ensured mostly by the Defence Ministry will help to set up national technological capabilities and position the Atlantic Constellation for the future European Union Government Space Observation Service. 

The Atlantic Constellation is an integrated Space Observation system that will enable the capacity for strategic monitoring through space, offering crucial information for defence and security, including preparing military exercises and support to civilian operations and emergency management, covering wildland fires.

The increase in the Portuguese contribution for the 2026-2030 cycle seeks to encourage the creation of more and better research, new companies, attracting multinational corporations and foreign investment, creating highly qualified jobs in order to retain talent trained at Portuguese universities namely in Aerospace Engineering degrees.

The training on offer in this area has grown significantly in Portugal. In the last five years alone, Aerospace Engineering courses were created in the Universities of Porto, Minho, Aveiro, and Évora. Despite the significant rise in places, this is still the course with the highest entry level in the country.

The number of companies in the space sector has also grown, having double in the last 10 years (from 42 to 84). A socio-economic study by Novaspace indicates highly positive effects of the space sector in the Portuguese economy with a return of 2.17 euros per euro invested.

The proposal to be presented at the ESA Ministerial Council this week is the outcome of the Space Interministerial Working Group set up the Government in 2025, including the areas of Foreign Affairs, Economy and Territorial Cohesion, National Defence, and Education, Science and Innovation. It is rolled out to Infrastructure and Housing, Home Affairs, Environment and Energy, Agriculture and Maritime Affairs, and the Regional Governments of the Azores and Madeira when warranted.

This investment is an example of what is intended for the future Research and Innovation Agency (AI2): to continuously bridge Science and Innovation, engaging all the sectors and ministerial areas, so that the knowledge generated in universities and laboratories makes its way faster to companies and is applied in solutions with an impact on people’s lives and bringing added value to our economy.

Portugal formally became a member of the European Space Agency on 14 November 2000.