As a partner of the 12th EU Space Conference organised by Business Bridge Europe, which took place in Brussels from 21 to 22 January 2020, Mercator Ocean International contributed to the 2020 edition entitled: “New Decade, Global Ambitions: Growth, Climate, Security & Defence”
Under the high patronage of Romanian MEP Marian-Jean Marinescu, Chair of the Sky and Space Intergroup in the European Parliament, the event attracted more than 1200 participants. While the space sector is still waiting for the budgets to be negotiated, this 2020 edition nevertheless spotlighted successful EU space programmes such as Galileo and Copernicus, and put into perspective major issues such as the EU Green Deal, international cooperation, especially with Africa, and the development of new technologies (AI, Quantum Technologies, etc.) for the coming decade. Thierry Breton, the new Commissioner of DG DEFIS (DEFence Industry and Space) of the European Commission, closed the conference with an inspiring speech: “I share your passion … We will achieve more and move faster together”.
Pierre Bahurel, CEO of Mercator Ocean International, took part in the round table discussion on the EU Green Deal. He welcomed this exemplary initiative to enable the EU to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050, which is also vital for sustainable oceans. “For a very long time we have been building strong and lasting links with ESA, EUMETSAT and the major space agencies to ensure that the future satellites and sensors developed are capable of meeting the ever-growing need for ocean knowledge. Political decision-makers, entrepreneurs, industrialists, scientists, NGOs and citizens in general are increasingly attentive and demanding in this respect. This is why the oceans today are quite rightly placed high on the international agenda, whether for the fight against climate change, to protect biodiversity, for environmental preservation or the blue economy. (…) The European Union must give itself the wherewithal to maintain its leadership in space and to take the lead to ensure sustainable oceans, which more and more citizens expect. 2020 is shaping up to be a very big blue year, with the next United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon and the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille. Knowing our ocean better, producing ever more accurate and reliable ocean data and indicators, but also sharing them with as many people as possible, as we do every day, in particular with the Copernicus Marine Service, is not only an imperative for the planet, but also of great importance for the EU’s leadership role.”
On the upper right corner, Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the DG Defis.
On the lower right corner, Pierre Bahurel, CEO, Mercator Ocean International.