As part of the Greek Space Tech Forum 2025, the Space Tech Fair was successfully held, offering a unique opportunity for companies in the space sector to showcase their technologies, products, and services.

The exhibition served as a vibrant hub of networking, innovation, and knowledge exchange, attracting the interest of representatives from the academic and business communities, as well as institutional stakeholders.

Mr. Ketsietzis gave the opening remarks of this year’s Forum.

Mr. Ouzounis thanked the sponsors and supporters of the forum.

Speaking about the next day, Mr. Potsis emphasized that, as an ecosystem, they have succeeded in moving from the service level to a comprehensive ecosystem solution. They have progressed from the component level to the system level, thanks to the support of the ministry and the investments of the national space program.

In his introductory speech, Mr. Sanchez stated that in recent years Greece has made significant progress in the space sector, ranging from applications to participation in international missions. At the same time, he highlighted the flourishing of startups, which demonstrates that there is expertise and passion to become a significant “player” in the field.

At the opening of the conference, Mr. Papastergiou emphasized that space can be the solution, and we must explore the range of possibilities for a better Greece, together with the people and the countries we feel close to. He also added that, as a ministry, they need to secure resources and prioritize needs, while stressing that their objectives are being realized and the next steps are anticipated.

Institutional Greeting

Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to the Hellenic Republic

H.E. Al Dhaheri presented his country’s space program and invited attendees to explore opportunities within the UAE’s Space Economic Zones, the first of their kind in the region, which host over 200 startups and SMEs registered in the UAE, spanning areas from Robotics and Artificial Intelligence to satellite components and launch support services.

Keynote Speech

Frederic Rouesnel, National Recovery & Resilience Facility & Quantum Project Manager, ESA

In his speech, Mr. Rouesnel emphasized that the opportunity for Greece in the Earth observation ecosystem is very significant. He also noted that there is potential to develop a national initiative and support services to substantially expand the observation data base for sustainability purposes.

Keynote Speech

Christina Giannopapa, Head of the Office of the Executive Director, EUSPA

In her speech, Ms. Giannopapa made a special reference to European funding programs, simultaneously presenting the European Union’s program and the pillars on which it is based.

Moderator: Konstantinos Ketsietzis, Journalist

Keynote Speech

Philip Thomas, Head of the Scale Up Programme Division, ESA

Mr. Thomas stated that today we live in an environment of rapid changes in the Space sector. The entire system is evolving swiftly, and with the recent geopolitical situation involving Iran and Israel, along with the significant pressure on Europe regarding Defense, we see that Space is once again at the top of the agenda.

Keynote Speech

Betty Charalampopoulou, Director, EARSC

Ms. Charalampopoulou spoke in detail about the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC), a European non-profit organization based in Brussels that promotes the activities of European companies engaged in providing geoinformation services. EARSC has a network of over 130 member companies registered in 25 countries.

Moderator: Konstantinos Ketsietzis, Journalist

Speakers

• Philip Thomas, Head of the Scale Up Programme Division, ESA
• Frederic Rouesnel, National Recovery & Resilience Facility & Quantum Project Manager, ESA
• Jorge-A. Sanchez-P., Director, ESA BIC Greece & Chairman, si-Cluster
• Costas Cartalis, Professor, Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Socrates Costicoglou, General Director Applications and R&D, Space Hellas

Moderator: Dimitris Mallas, Journalist

Speakers

• Chrysa Oikonomou, Senior Program Manager, Iceye
• Maria Kalama, Managing Director, Open Cosmos Aegean
• Ioannis Lantouris, Head of Operation Greece, OroraTech
• Constantin Constantinides, Lead Systems Engineer, OQ Technology
• John Gekas, Data & AI Managing Director, Space AI Lead, Accenture

Moderator: Dimitris Mallas, Journalist

Speakers

• Christodoulos Protopapas, CEO, Hellas Sat
• Theodoros Anagnos, Director Space Section, Raymetrics
• Stelios Bollanos, CEO & cofounder, Planetek Hellas
• Christos Kontopoulos, CTO, Geosystems Hellas
• George Keradinidis, CTO, Totalview
• Stefanos Neos, Technical Manager, Terra Spatium

Moderator: Matina Charkoftaki, Journalist

Speakers

• Grigorios Gkoutzelis, Brigadier General, Director, Innovation Directorate, HNDGS
• Pantelis Tzortzakis, CEO, Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation
• Konstantinos Geroulis, CCO, Hellas Sat

Keynote Speech

Vasilis Chaloulakos, CEO of ICEYE Greece, ICEYE

Mr. Chaloulakos, among other points, emphasized in his speech that there is a widely established perception that space is a central pillar for the defense of every country.

Moderator: Konstantinos Ketsietzis, Journalist

Keynote Speech

Konstantinos Karantzalos, General Secretary, Ministry of Digital Governance

Mr. Karantzalos emphasized that the ministry is building the national space strategy with a ten-year horizon. As he stated, they want to have a roadmap so that we know where we want to go in the next ten years and have a clear plan. He further stressed that only by joining forces across ministries will it be possible to achieve the desired results.

Keynote Speech

Elias Eliades, Director, Investment Promotion, Enterprise Greece

Mr. Eliades stated in his speech that space technology can bring investments to Greece. As he mentioned, while we may not be direct experts in the sector, we know very well how to promote Greece as an investment destination, helping Greek businesses to export abroad. In closing, he emphasized that space appears to be very important for future investments in Greece.

Moderator: Konstantinos Ketsietzis, Journalist

Moderator: Konstantinos Ketsietzis, Journalist

Keynote Speech

Dimitris Bliziotis, Scientific Personnel, Hellenic Space Center

Mr. Bliziotis emphasized that all the data transmitted by the microsatellites will be available to the Greek public sector at no cost. He stated emphatically that, in this way, our diplomatic relations with other European countries will also be strengthened.

Moderator: Konstantinos Ketsietzis, Journalist

Keynote Speech

Stratos Simopoulos, Chairperson, Committee on Research & Technology, Hellenic Parliament

Mr. Simopoulos expressed the view that the theme of the conference is not only timely but also profoundly significant, as it provides an opportunity to reflect on Greece’s current position on the international space map and how, collectively, we can strengthen our strategic standing. As he emphasized, for Greece, enhancing participation in such programs is not only a matter of scientific or technological development but primarily an issue of national sovereignty and defense capability.

Moderator: Konstantinos Ketsietzis, Journalist

Keynote Speech

Rita Rinaldo, Head of Division BASS, ESA

In her speech, Ms. Rinaldo focused on the ESA Business Applications and Space Solutions programs and their integration into the broader Access program (Accelerating Commercialization and Competitiveness of the European Space Ecosystem), analyzing the pillars that drive these initiatives.

Moderator: Antonis Paschalis (NKUA) & Ioannis Gitas (AUTH)

Moderator: Orfeas Voutyras, Corallia

Moderator: Orfeas Voutyras, Corallia