Canada and the European Union have been collaborating in the space sector since the early 1970s. Formal cooperation began in 1979 with the signing of the first Cooperation Agreement between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency. The Agreement has been renewed five times since then, and expanded to focus on innovation and competitiveness, as well as developing new knowledge and skills across the space sector. Attesting to the vitality of this cooperation, the Canadian Space Agency, ESA & NASA successfully launched in December 2021 the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) – the most complex and powerful space telescope ever built.

Still the potential to deepen this political and industrial cooperation is huge. The use of space systems and technologies is increasingly important to address some of the defining issues of our time – from ensuring a sustainable use of natural resources, to protecting the environment, providing safety, security and a high quality of life, responding to disasters and crises, or understanding and combating climate change.

In this webinar, panelists will provide an overview of the EU-Canada cooperation in the space sector, at institutional and business levels, and discuss potential opportunities for future development.