Empowering Europe’s Space Talent: ASTRAIOS Findings Unveiled at the EASN 15th International Conference 2025

easnnet
Oct 23
2 min read

On the 15^th of October, the ASTRAIOS project took the spotlight at the 15th EASN International Conference in Madrid with a dedicated session titled “ASTRAIOS: Building a Future-Ready Space Workforce in Europe.”

The session highlighted how ASTRAIOS is shaping the future of Europe’s space workforce through data-driven research, skills mapping, and the creation of innovative learning opportunities. Over its three-year journey, ASTRAIOS has:

Mapped space-related education and training programmes across the EU and UK.
Analysed workforce data to identify key skills gaps, regional disparities, and mobility trends.
Developed open-access MOOCs addressing emerging upskilling and reskilling needs.
Collected real-life career stories from professionals across Europe’s space sector.

These resources form a comprehensive, open-access knowledge base, freely available through the ASTRAIOS website and channels. Together, they contribute to the EU’s Pact for Skills and the SPACE4GEO Large-scale Skills Partnership, supporting evidence-based policymaking and long-term workforce development.

Chaired by Mari Kolehmainen, ASTRAIOS Project Coordinator, the session brought together leading experts and project partners who presented the latest project results and explored future collaborations.

Speakers included:

Yolla Al Asmar (University of Twente): Mapping and Curating Space Education – From the ASTRAIOS Educational Web Catalogue to Newly Developed Training Materials
Heidi Thiemann (Space Skills Alliance): Mapping the European Space Workforce
Christie Maddock (University of Strathclyde): Skills Gap Analysis and Recommendations from ASTRAIOS
Cristina Ramos (AZO): ESG Practices in the European Space Sector – Insights from the ASTRAIOS Peer-to-Peer Learning Workshops
Grazia Fiore (FDC): Pathways into Space – Real Voices and Journeys from the ASTRAIOS Project

The session attracted a diverse audience of students, young professionals, and educators, underscoring the growing interest in building a sustainable and skilled space workforce across Europe.

The session also spotlighted SpaceSUITE, the flagship implementation project of the SPACE4GEO initiative.

Where ASTRAIOS has mapped the landscape of space education and skills, SpaceSUITE is now developing concrete solutions — modular training programmes, collaborative frameworks, and user-driven tools to strengthen Europe’s downstream space and geoinformation sectors.

Together, ASTRAIOS and SpaceSUITE form a powerful continuum of action:

From research and analysis à to skills development and implementation, both projects are united under a shared mission — to future-proof Europe’s space workforce and enhance its global competitiveness.

The ASTRAIOS consortium warmly thanks all participants for their active engagement during the session. The questions and insightful discussions from attendees provided valuable input for the project’s future planning and final recommendations, reinforcing the importance of collaboration across education, research, and industry to build Europe’s next-generation space workforce.