While Europe's smallsat industry is growing through developments like the Thales Alenia Space “Space Smart Factory,” it still faces funding and regulatory challenges. Credit: Thales Alenia Space
AMSTERDAM — Burdensome regulations and limited access to capital continue to drag on Europe’s smallsat sector despite proposed new legislation and an influx of defense spending.
During a panel at the SmallSat Europe conference May 26, industry and government officials said long-running concerns about fragmented markets and bureaucracy continue to challenge Europe even as companies and markets elsewhere grow.
Europe remains a good place to start space companies, argued Marino Fragnito, senior vice president for sales and market at Thales Alenia Space. “Europe is very strong at developing new products,” he said, citing benefits like access to grants for technology development. “They’re easily incubated in Europe, maybe even easier than in the U.S.”
The problem, he said, is trying to grow those companies. “When you need to scale these companies, it is impossible to find private money in Europe. Impossible.”
