Portugal reaches for the stars with increased funding to European Space Agency

Portugal’s financial contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA) is set to rocket after it  increased its funding by 51%.

The nation has confirmed its investment to the ESA for 2026-2030 will soar to €204.8 million – underscoring its commitment to the space programme.

And, it hopes, help fuel economic activity in the sector with healthy financial returns predicted.

It’s the single biggest increase Portugal has made since joining the ESA in 2000.

In a further boost, Santa Maria Island in the Azores has been selected as the landing site for the maiden flight of ESA’s Space Rider.

Space Rider, due for lift-off in 2028, will be an unmanned, robotic laboratory which will circle the globe in low orbit for around two months before returning to Earth for future reuse.

Portugal has pledged €15 million to develop the Santa Maria Space Hub.

Fernando Alexandre, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, said: “Based on the investment carried out over the last 25 years and its scientific, technological and corporate capabilities developed, Portugal has decided to strengthen its investment in the field of space in the upcoming European Space Agency’s cycle.

“The autonomous region of the Azores will play a central role in the development of a new space strategy [as will] the creation of a Space Hub on Santa Maria Island in line with the goals of boosting Europe’s autonomy in launch and landing operations, as well as the development of space and ocean observation capabilities.”

The President of the Azores Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, added: "We are living in an era of opportunities where the Azores, due to its history and geography, are becoming even more relevant to Portugal and Europe.

“We are prepared for the world and for the future, enhancing the potential of space, the seas, science, and new technologies.”

The government added that the increase in the Portuguese contribution for the 2026-2030 cycle seeks to encourage the creation of more and better research.

In addition, it hopes to attract new companies, attract multinational corporations and foreign investment, creating highly qualified jobs in order to retain talent trained at Portuguese universities in aerospace engineering degrees.

The training on offer in this area has grown significantly in Portugal. In the last five years alone, aerospace engineering courses were created in the universities of Porto, Minho, Aveiro, and Évora.

The number of companies in the space sector has also grown, having doubled in the last 10 years from 42 to 84.

A socio-economic study by Novaspace indicates highly positive effects of the space sector in the Portuguese economy with a return of €2.17 per euro invested.

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