Europe cannot afford to watch the next decade of space and artificial intelligence from the sidelines, according to Jaume Sanpera, chief executive of the Spanish satellite operator Sateliot. In his view, the continent must shake off its complacency and build genuine capacity in orbit, or risk becoming a client of the two dominant technological blocs.
"Europe needs to wake up," Sanpera said, warning that dependence on the United States or China in critical infrastructure would leave the EU with little room to manoeuvre. His argument is not abstract: Sateliot operates a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) communications satellites designed to connect devices that terrestrial networks cannot reach.
A constellation built for the internet of things
The Barcelona-based company recently added five satellites to its 5G IoT network, a step toward commercial coverage for sensors, logistics trackers and remote industrial equipment. LEO constellations sit closer to Earth than traditional geostationary satellites, which reduces latency and allows smaller, cheaper terminals — a model that has already reshaped global connectivity.
For Sanpera, the technical case and the political case are inseparable. Space-based communications are increasingly treated as strategic infrastructure, not just a commercial service. If European firms are to compete with SpaceX's Starlink or Chinese constellations, they need scale, capital and a regulatory environment that does not punish them for growing.
"Europe needs to have its own sovereignty in space," Sanpera said, framing the issue as a matter of long-term independence rather than industrial vanity.
His call fits a broader debate in Brussels and national capitals about how far the EU should go in protecting its technological base. France and Germany have clashed over the design of an EU space shield, with both seeking national control over key assets. The tension is familiar: member states agree on the goal of strategic autonomy but disagree on who holds the keys.
The regulation dilemma
Sanpera acknowledges the risk of overregulation, a perennial complaint from Europe's tech sector. Rules on data, spectrum and launch licensing can be slow to adapt to a market that moves in months, not years. Yet he does not want a deregulated free-for-all either. Europe, he argues, has "its own values" that should shape how AI and other technologies are deployed.
That position places him between two camps: those who see EU rulemaking as a brake on innovation, and those who see it as the only way to prevent a race to the bottom. The bloc's recent push on AI governance, including the work of companies such as Mistral and its open-weight models, reflects a similar balancing act.
The comparison with AI is not accidental. Both sectors depend on compute, capital and talent, and both are dominated by American and Chinese players. Europe's response has been uneven: strong on research, weaker on scaling. Sanpera wants a "push" — public procurement, investment and a willingness to back European champions rather than merely regulate them.
What sovereignty would actually require
- Launch and spectrum access: reliable, affordable routes to orbit and coordinated EU spectrum policy.
- Capital at scale: late-stage funding that keeps European firms from selling out or relocating.
- Demand-side support: public contracts that give startups a first customer.
- Regulatory predictability: rules that are strict on values but fast on process.
There are signs of momentum. The European Space Agency has been expanding its astronaut corps, and figures such as Sophie Adenot's record stay aboard the ISS have raised the profile of European human spaceflight. Private actors are also testing new models, from AI chips in orbit to reusable launch vehicles.
None of this guarantees that Europe will produce a satellite operator of global weight. The continent's space sector remains fragmented across national agencies and industrial champions, and consolidation is politically difficult. But Sanpera's message is that the alternative — relying on foreign constellations for European data — carries its own costs.
Whether EU institutions and member states translate that argument into money and mandates is the open question. For now, Sateliot is betting that they will, one launch at a time.
