Yesterday marked a significant milestone as we held our first Strategic Foresight Workshop in the FutureSpace project. Our topic for this first iteration was the Future(s) of European Launchers and European Strategic Autonomy.
The workshop brought together a wonderful group of experts, and we were privileged to begin the day with a Keynote Address from Hermann Ludwig Moeller, Director of the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). His insights into the current landscape and future potential of Europe’s space ambitions set the stage for an inspiring and thought-provoking day. We want to express our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Moeller and ESPI for their invaluable contributions and support.
The heart of the workshop was a Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) conducted with 13 external participants. This method allowed us to delve deep into the challenges and opportunities surrounding European launchers and strategic autonomy and we are profoundly grateful to each participant and their contributions that fostered meaningful and thought-provoking conversations. Their insights ignited discussions not only about Europe’s future(s) in space but also about what Europe might need to need to do to successfully navigate future uncertainties in an ever-evolving geopolitical landscape.
Our hope was to create a transformative space—a platform where the problems of today could be deconstructed, and alternative futures could be imagined and then (re)constructed. Thanks to the diverse perspectives and knowledge that was brought to the table, we believe we achieved just that.
The discussions we shared were rich, inspiring, and thought-provoking, and will undoubtedly serve as a fertile ground for our continuing research. We look forward to building on these insights and continuing the conversation on what it takes for Europe to shape its future and strategic autonomy space in the future.
To all who participated, thank you again for your contributions, expertise and commitment in the workshop and to laying the groundwork for something hopefully truly transformative.
For a detailed report of the workshop, please send an email to philipp.kuerten@univie.ac.at
