Between 7-17 July 2025, the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) was in Japan participating in the annual SPACETIDE Conference, a major forum for space industry and policy in the Asia-Pacific region. Whilst there, ESPI co-organised one foresight workshop at the International House of Japan, and contributed to the 35th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science (ISTS), in Tokushima.
Below is a recap of our activities:
On Tuesday 8 July, ESPI Director, H. Ludwig Moeller, took part in the SPACETIDE panel “Space Security – Policies and Technologies for the Next Decade”. Moderated by Kazuto Suzuki, Director of the Institute of Geoeconomics, the panel explored the policy and technological tools needed to address the growing strategic and operational challenges of space security.
On Wednesday 9 July, our Research Fellow, João Falcão Serra, co-organised and moderated the panel “How Global Economy and Geopolitics Will Shape Space Investment in the Next Decade”. Together with Blaine Curcio (Orbital Gateway Consulting), Simon Potter (Bryce Space Global), and Daiki Amaki (Development Bank of Japan), the panel examined how economic and geopolitical disruptions are affecting capital flows and investment strategies in the space sector.
On Thursday 10 July, ESPI and the Bertelsmann Foundation (BFNA) co-organised a side-event to the SPACETIDE Conference titled “Shifting Centers of Gravity: Politics, Economics and a New Strategic Environment” to explore what the unravelling of current world order means for space exploration, the space economy, space security, and space diplomacy. Together with H. Ludwig Moeller, Kazuto Suzuki (Institute of Geoeconomics), Hazuki Mori (World Economic Forum), Clayton Swope (CSIS), and Anthony Silberfeld (BFNA), the event sparked an interactive discussion with the audience on the topics of economic security and technological sovereignty, international cooperation, the effect of tariffs on space commerce, supply chains and the broader space economy as well as the growing confluence of power politics, economics, security and commerce in the space arena.
On Friday 11 July, H. Ludwig Moeller, ESPI Associate Manager and Lead on International Engagement, Marco Aliberti, and João Falcão Serra co-organised and participated in a Space Foresight Workshop together with the Institute of Geoeconomics and the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Titled “The Ways to the Moon”, this closed-door workshop applied structured forecasting methods to explore plausible futures for international lunar exploration. The event convened a diverse and high level international participation from 20+ public and private organisations (50% Japanese, 50% international) at the International House of Japan for the second iteration in a series of global engagements, bringing forecast and exploration topics together to strengthen international ties between likeminded partners, in line with ESPI’s mission and purpose.
Between 13 and 15 July, Marco Aliberti participated in the 35th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science (ISTS), in Tokushima.
Finally, on 15 July Marco Aliberti participated in the panel “A New Era of International Collaboration: The Role of Non-Governmental Actors”, together with Alex da Silva Curiel (Surrey Satelitte Technology Ltd.), Chris Blackerby (Astroscale), Hazuki Mori (World Economic Forum), Joshua Critchley-Marrows (Space Generation Advisory Council), Shinichi Nakasuka (University of Tokyo) Maximilien Berthet (University of Tokyo), Ikuko Kuriyama (University of Tokyo), Marco presented on the topic of “Non-Governmental Pathways to Space Diplomacy The Power of Ideas and Think-Tanks”.
See ESPI’s full SPACETIDE agenda here.
A big thank you to SPACETIDE, Institute of Geoeconomics, Bertelsmann Foundation, International House of Japan, University of Tokyo, and International Symposium on Space Technology and Science.
