Portugal is to increase its financial contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA) for the period 2026-2030.
The country will invest a total of €204.8 million in space. The Ministry of Science and Innovation will make the greatest contribution followed by the Ministry of Defence.
The amount is a substantial increase in Portugal’s financial contribution to the ESA although it falls short of what had been called for by the AED Cluster Portugal, which recommended a national investment of at least €344 million on ESA optional programmes to 2028,” says Ivo Vieira, vice-president and coordinator of the AED Cluster Portugal Space Commission.
The target established by the AED was explained by the necessity for Portugal to come close to the European average investment, with Ivo Vieira hoping for an additional national investment of 0.03% of GDP which he says would generate returns of 10-fold for the government.
Of the €204.8 million that the government intends to invest in the ESA, more than half will go on science and technology, with the Ministry of Science and Innovation responsible for 56.7% of the total amount, 16.2% coming from the Ministry of Defence and 14.1% from the Ministry of the Economy.
Source: Essential Business
