Space Symposium Summary

The most exciting conversations aren't about traditional partnerships – and yet they could be the new face of space. Is Europe lagging behind in building vital partnerships in the space sector?

During the Space Symposium I have discovered some fascinating examples including Sierra Space and American Honda Motor Company, Inc. as well as continuing developments between Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Astrolab but I'm searching for more European innovations.

🌍 Where are the stand-out ones from Europe? Partnerships that have the potential to ensure European technology, skills and European manufactured products have their place in space.

The numbers tell an interesting story: collectively, the EU and UK economies represent about 80% of US GDP, yet America's lead in space remains disproportionately larger. To achieve greater parity, Europe needs creative and innovative partnerships that leverage its distinctive industrial strengths.

🚀 Creativity and innovation in partnerships means identifying unexpected intersections where different expertise creates new possibilities. Partnership isn't simply about transactional ROI calculations – it's about lateral thinking that creates entirely new possibilities.

Consider Mercedes-Benz AG’s recent 'car2space Challenge,' which asks how space could benefit their vehicles. At Forbes-Space we love to see this engagement, but let’s flip the question: how could Mercedes' expertise in electric mobility, engineering reliability, and quality volume manufacturing transform space systems?

What are your thoughts on how Europe could creatively leverage partnerships to achieve its place in space?

The European space sector doesn't need to mirror America's approach - it needs partnerships that capitalise on its unique industrial ecosystem. What European industries outside space do you believe hold the most untapped potential for transformative space partnerships?

At Forbes-Space, we’re particularly interested in creative partnerships that:

🤝 Connect non-space companies with space organisations

🧠 Apply lateral thinking to create something innovative

📢 Share brand recognition to amplify space initiatives

🌍 Repurpose space technology in innovative ways for Earth benefits

🚀 Demonstrate thinking that seems obvious in hindsight but represents a genuine breakthrough

What makes a partnership truly innovative? At Forbes-Space we define it through three key elements:

🔬Innovation - Connecting industries facing similar challenges but speaking different technical languages

🧠 Creativity - Reimagining how partners can contribute beyond their typical roles

🔎 Lateral thinking - Identifying valuable intersections where others see only barriers

These principles might drive partnerships that bring biotechnology firms into radiation protection research, agricultural innovators into life support systems, or material scientists into spacesuit development.

Too often, these connections remain untapped because we lack translators who understand both worlds. This is precisely where Forbes-Space seeks to operate - bridging ecosystems to encourage non-space organisations to see the potential of space to bring added value.