2026-10-07, 12:30–13:00 (Europe/Amsterdam), Aula Magna
Over the past five years, the Government of Catalonia has made a firm and sustained commitment to developing a competitive and innovation‑driven space sector. This effort has combined Catalonia’s strong capabilities in digital technologies, scientific research and industrial engineering with coordinated collaboration across public institutions, universities, research centres and private companies.
As part of this initiative, several small satellite missions for communications and Earth observation, such as the GENIOT and GENEO series, have been deployed with supporting ground infrastructure and data platforms. Initially conceived as technology demonstrators, these missions have enabled the validation of operational capabilities and the development of innovative services in areas such as disaster risk management, environmental monitoring and territorial management among others.
This talk presents the role of small satellites in enabling innovative use cases highlighting the supporting infrastructure, service adoption and future developments under the Catalonia Space 2030 Strategy, approved in November 2025, which foresees the deployment of eight satellite missions by 2030 focused on Earth observation and advanced communications and resilience‑oriented applications.
Other
Estefania Blanch is the Earth Observation Manager at the Area for the Promotion of the Space Sector of Catalonia (APEC) at the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), where she supports the implementation of Catalonia’s Space Strategy. Her work focuses on promoting the use of satellite data to address real-world challenges such as water management, agriculture, natural hazards, and environmental monitoring. At the IEEC’s Office for Industrial Services and Promotion, she coordinates activities related to Earth observation, helps define satellite-based services, and fosters collaboration between public institutions, industry, and research. With a background in geophysics (PhD) and space studies (MSc), she works to bring the benefits of space technology closer to society and to strengthen the space sector in Catalonia.