The au Starlink Direct coverage expansion notably increased service areas in the Sea of Japan and around the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands.

Through a partnership with U.S. carrier T-Mobile, au Starlink Direct will be usable in the United States during fiscal 2025.

The new Italian regulatory approach treats the underwater domain as a complex environment that includes scientific research, industrial activities, and critical infrastructure security rather than solely a military sphere.

Italy is among the few European countries that have defined a specific legal framework for the underwater domain.

The complexity of the underwater domain requires rapid intervention capabilities for maintenance and repair, including in scenarios of sabotage or attack.

The Italian government published new regulation for the underwater domain in the Gazzetta Ufficiale.

The Italian government identified increasing anthropization of the seabed as a driver for the need to guarantee control, security, and planning of the underwater environment.

About 95% of communications and energy flows transit the seabed via submarine cables and pipelines for gas and methane.

The protection of submarine cables and pipelines in Italy is primarily assigned to the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) and the Guardia Costiera (Coast Guard), operating in cooperation with international partners.

Only 25% of the seabed is currently mapped in detailed fashion, leaving roughly 75% largely unexplored.

Italian industry shows growing interest in advanced underwater vehicles and systems with potential impacts on qualified employment and technological innovation.

Underwater technologies that reduce risks to humans enable the start of systematic exploration and monitoring campaigns, expanding prospects for research and security.

The new Italian law establishes a unified governance system for the underwater domain entrusted to a dedicated agency designed as a lean structure for coordinating and managing civilian and military activities.

The European Space Conference 2026 provided opportunities for Spanish industry to generate potential actions, alliances, and work lines for future participation in European space programs.

The European Space Conference is one of the main European forums for space strategy, planning, and political-industrial alignment.

Major General Isaac Crespo, head of the Mando del Espacio of the Spanish Air and Space Force, participated and provided an operational defense perspective on space as a critical security infrastructure.

Lorena Boix participated in Gold Hall sessions and supported advancing an integrated space architecture capable of addressing both civil and security/defense needs.

The 18th European Space Conference closed in Brussels in 2026.

Spanish industry and Spanish institutions maintained a solid and consistent presence at the 18th European Space Conference in Brussels.

Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space, advocates moving from planning to execution and accelerating delivery of critical space capabilities in areas such as security and defense.

Silver Hall sessions at the conference focused on space surveillance, orbital traffic management, Earth observation, and industrial competitiveness.

Gold Hall sessions at the conference focused on security, resilience, strategic autonomy, and protection of critical infrastructures.

Juan Tomás Hernani, Fernando García, and Augusto Caramagno participated in the conference, reinforcing diverse Spanish industrial representation on regulatory framework, industrial competitiveness, and value-chain sustainability.

Mariella Graziano (GMV), Rafel Jordà (Open Cosmos), and Alberto Agüeda (GMV) participated in Silver Hall sessions addressing data importance, orbital security, and Europe's capacity to finance and scale domestic industrial solutions.

Jaume Sanpera, founder and CEO of Sateliot, participated and highlighted the role of new connectivity operators in contributing to European strategic capabilities through hybrid civil-institutional models.

Kaja Kallas is the head of the European Defence Agency (EDA) by virtue of her role as EU High Representative.

Govsatcom has begun operations, enabling all EU member states to access sovereign military and governmental satellite communications that are secure and encrypted and described as built, operated, and controlled in Europe.

Govsatcom (Governmental Satellite Communications of the European Union) groups eight satellites contributed by Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Luxembourg.

Several intelligence agencies assess there is a possibility that Russia could attack another European country before the end of this decade.

Govsatcom is open to other EU countries and the European Commission is evaluating Ukraine’s request for access to Govsatcom services.

Europe does not currently have the capacity to replace the United States’ nuclear umbrella, while Europe has increased capabilities in conventional defence.

Andrius Kubilius is the European Commissioner for Defence and Space.

Kaja Kallas is the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security.

Kaja Kallas advocated that NATO needs to become more European to maintain its strength and for Europe to act.

Govsatcom is part of the EU effort to achieve autonomy in space services and to reduce dependence on commercial systems such as Starlink.

The session 'Superar los límites: liderazgo y visión para el futuro' will include Miguel Ángel Panduro, director of Indra Space; Andrés Sendagorta, president of Sener; and Jesús Serrano, CEO of GMV.

Javier Marín, vice president of Aena, will participate in the #AeroSpaceDay event and open the day with a session on airport infrastructure.

Luis Furnells, president of Oesía, will participate in the panel on defense industry challenges and strategic technological sovereignty.

Gonzalo Mateo-Guerrero, director of operations and business at Navantia, will participate in the panel on defense industry challenges and cooperation.

Javier Marín will address the strategic role of airport infrastructures as drivers of competitiveness, economic growth, and territorial cohesion.

IESE Business School will host the #AeroSpaceDay forum on 4 February at its Madrid campus.

Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), is listed as a participant for the international cooperation session pending confirmation.

A session on international cooperation in the new space era will include Juan Carlos Cortés Pulido, director of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), and Philip Baldwin, Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator for the Space Communications and Navigation Program at NASA.

Elisa García Díaz, Director of Portfolio Management and Growth in Defense at Airbus, will participate in sessions addressing the economic and financial impact of the industry.

Joan Jané, professor at IESE and director of IESE's New York campus, will direct the #AeroSpaceDay event.

The second edition of #AeroSpaceDay will bring together 25 speakers and more than 300 executives and specialists from the aeronautical and space industry.

Eduardo Ferrer Puig, president of the Aeronautics & Space Hub of IESE and CEO and Co‑Founder of Slimop Space, will co-direct the #AeroSpaceDay event.

The session 'Finanzas en el aire: reparto de beneficios en la cadena de valor' will include Javier Pérez Alcaide, EVP Sales, Commercial and Programs at Aernnova; Elisa García Díaz of Airbus; and Daniel Lorrain, Principal at Hyperion.

José Vicente de los Mozos, CEO of Indra, will participate in the panel titled 'Retos y alianzas estratégicas de la industria de defensa para la soberanía estratégica y tecnológica.'

The European Union’s GOVSATCOM service was brought online on 14 January 2026.