ASTRAIOS Showcases Sustainable Space Workforce Vision at IAC 2025 in Sydney

The ASTRAIOS project proudly took part in the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025 in Sydney, the world’s largest and most prestigious space gathering. Our team presented the interactive poster “Sustainable Space Workforce Development – Training Future Engineers for Space Technologies (ASTRAIOS)”, highlighting our mission to build the foundations of a sustainable space workforce for the future.

Date: Wednesday, 1 October 2025

Time: 12:55 PM

Location: Screen 51, IP Hall, IAC 2025, Sydney

During the interactive presentation, the ASTRAIOS team engaged participants in discussions around how to prepare the next generation of engineers with the skills, knowledge, and values needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of space activities.

Our presentation focused on key findings from three extensive datasets developed within the project:

Space Education Database – mapping over 140 space degree programmes and 3,591 courses across Europe and beyond.

Workforce Dataset – analysing 170,000+ professional profiles and 250+ HR surveys to understand skill demand and recruitment trends in the space sector.

Mobility Dataset – studying 5.8 million anonymised student records to reveal access gaps and mobility barriers in STEM and space-related education.

The analysis uncovered pressing needs for sustainability-related skills such as life-cycle assessment, green propulsion, and sustainable spacecraft design, as well as cross-cutting competencies in systems integration, artificial intelligence and machine learning, communication, and adaptability.

These insights informed a set of concrete recommendations aimed at universities, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to bridge educational gaps and strengthen Europe’s capacity for sustainable space innovation.

The lively discussion following the presentation brought together perspectives from academia, industry, and research institutions worldwide. Participants shared valuable input, reinforcing the shared commitment to building a space workforce equipped to tackle both technological and environmental challenges ahead.

We extend our thanks to everyone who attended, asked thought-provoking questions, and contributed to shaping the dialogue around sustainability in space workforce development.

Stay tuned for more updates from the ASTRAIOS project as we continue our work towards a more resilient space sector.