Toulouse, France – October 27–28, 2026 | Leaders from the space sector, government, civil protection, energy, transport and insurance will gather in Toulouse to strengthen the role of space capabilities in building the resilience of critical infrastructure and societies.
Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, increasingly frequent climate-related disasters and growing pressure on critical infrastructure, resilience has become a strategic imperative for governments, businesses and territories.
Occitanie, Europe’s leading space region, accounts for more than 40% of France’s space workforce and one-third of space-related employment in Europe. The region is a major hub for the sector, home to leading organizations including the CNES Space Centre, Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space, alongside a dynamic ecosystem of space start-ups.
It is against this backdrop that the inaugural Space Summit for a Resilient Future (SSRF) will take place in Toulouse on October 27–28, 2026. The city is also home to the French Space Command and NATO’s Space Centre of Excellence. More than 500 senior decision-makers will come together with a shared ambition: to connect the capabilities of the space sector with the organizations responsible for maintaining essential services and keeping societies functioning in times of crisis.
Organized by Novaspace, with the support of the Occitanie Region, the Summit will address a central question: how can satellite imagery, connectivity, navigation and other space-enabled capabilities make a tangible contribution to strengthening resilience on Earth?
The program will bring together senior representatives from government, the space sector and critical industries, including François Jacq, CEO of CNES; Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space; Julien Marion, Director General of France’s Civil Security and Crisis Management Directorate; Denis Mercier, member of the Strategic Foresight Committee of the French Red Cross; Stéphanie Bouckaert, Head of the Demand Sectors Unit at the International Energy Agency; Damian Cortinas, Chair of the Board of ENTSO-E; Emmanuelle Brechet, VP Data Technologies at TotalEnergies; and Diego Díaz Pilas, Global Head of Ventures & New Technologies at Iberdrola, alongside other international decision-makers.
Over two days, discussions will focus on the areas where resilience challenges are becoming most critical: disaster and crisis management, energy security, resilient mobility and infrastructure, territorial resilience, and the operational use of space capabilities to better anticipate crises, respond effectively and accelerate recovery.
By bringing together end users, space agencies, governments, infrastructure operators and technology providers, SSRF aims to move beyond identifying challenges to determine which solutions are already operational, what still needs to be developed, and where further cooperation and investment are needed to enable deployment at scale.
Held in Toulouse, the Summit aims to establish a new international platform connecting space innovation with one of the defining challenges facing governments, economies and societies today: strengthening their ability to anticipate, withstand and adapt to crises.
“Space capabilities are already essential to the functioning of our societies, from connectivity and navigation to Earth observation and access to information. As crises become more frequent and complex, the challenge is to better connect these capabilities with the operational needs of those responsible for the resilience of our territories and infrastructure. This is precisely the purpose of SSRF: to create a dialogue between the space sector and its users, and to help turn that dialogue into concrete solutions and new forms of cooperation,” said Pacôme Révillon, CEO of Novaspace.
“Occitanie, and Toulouse in particular, holds a leading position in Europe’s space sector, with more than 14,000 employees and one-third of the European space workforce. For the past ten years, the Region has supported the sector’s development and helped sustain its leadership. At a time when France has experienced an unprecedented period of wildfires and drought, this Summit will contribute to building a more resilient space sector, better equipped to anticipate the challenges ahead,” added Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie Region.
Space Summit for a Resilient Future
October 27–28, 2026 | Centre de Congrès Pierre Baudis, Toulouse, France
Official website: space-summit-resilient-future.com