Europe in Space - Josef Aschbacher

Join us for an inspiring lecture with first-hand insights, and learn how ESA is paving Europe’s path toward the future of space!

What forces are shaping Europe’s space ambitions? What roles do the ESA and Austria play in this forward-looking sector?
Discover the technological and geopolitical challenges Europe faces – and how international cooperation and innovative solutions are helping to safeguard European interests in space.

Born in Austria, Josef Aschbacher studied at the University of Innsbruck, graduating with a Master’s degree and a PhD in natural sciences. He has had an accomplished international career in space, combining more than 35 years’ work experience at ESA, the European Commission, the Austrian Space Agency, the Asian Institute of Technology and the University of Innsbruck.

As Director General of ESA, Dr. Aschbacher is responsible for the definition, implementation and development of Europe’s space infrastructure and activities, which include launchers, satellites performing Earth observation, navigation, telecommunication and space science, together with robotic exploration and ESA astronauts working on the International Space Station. He is responsible for an annual budget of €7 billion and a workforce of 5500 distributed across several establishments, principally in Europe.

This talk takes part within the MBA programme Space Architecture & Management.