Europe prides itself on the world-class talent it fosters. Yet the question of whether this talent is fully nurtured and effectively leveraged remains largely unanswered, despite its importance for closing Europe’s innovation and competitiveness gaps.
ESPI’s new report “Talent in the European Space Sector: Bridging Gaps, Building Futures” aims to provide a greater understanding of the dynamics affecting talent in the European space sector based on the contrasting but complementary perspectives of:
- Students and young professionals about to enter the sector or in the opening stages of their career
- Industry and other relevant space sector employers
Understanding these dynamics for talent in the European space ecosystem, and adapting policies, academic curricula, and upskilling programmes accordingly is critical, as Europe’s capacity to strengthen its space capabilities and pioneer innovation is strongly reliant on a highly trained and available workforce.
The report delves into topics such as:
- The difficulties for students at all stages of their transition to the workplace
- A sustained market demand for talent, concentrated at the mid-level
- The perceived attractiveness of the sector (including top attractors for junior profiles), and the power of inspiration for drawing talent
- Future workforce evolution, and the accessibility of the sector to non-space profiles
“Europe excels in producing world-class STEM graduates, and with the expectation of increased investment in space programmes, demand for these profiles is only set to rise. However, barriers continue to exist for their entry to the sector – including concerns about the quantity and quality of academic programmes, intense competition for limited positions, and constrained pathways to more senior roles.”
— Laura Corbett, Research Fellow
“It’s encouraging to see that inspiration continues to play a central role in attracting and retaining people in the space sector, particularly driven by space exploration and space science. However, as individuals progress through their studies and careers, this inspiration increasingly connects to other parts of the space ecosystem. Sustaining their inspirational power will require Europe to renew its ambition in exploration and space science and to rethink how it engages and incorporates society in these fields.”
— Lars Petzold, Research Fellow
