GMV highlights the strategic role of the ground segment for space technology sovereignty at ADM Sevilla

From 19–21 May at FIBES Seville, GMV took part in ADM Sevilla 2026, an aerospace and defense business conference that has established itself one of the sector’s leading events in Spain and southern Europe. The eighth edition of the event brought together more than 1,000 professionals from 30 countries and scheduled more than 8,000 B2B meetings, reinforcing Seville’s role as a strategic hub for the international aerospace industry.

The event featured an extensive program of talks and specialized round-table discussions on space, defense, innovation, digitalization, and cybersecurity, bringing together more than fifty leading experts and executives from the sector.

Luis Mariano González Casillas, GMV’s director of Earth Observation Strategy, participated in the round-table discussion on “The Space Sector and Technological Sovereignty,” focusing on the strategic challenges of space and Europe’s technological autonomy. The session, moderated by José María Pérez, head of National Industry Programs at the Spanish Space Agency, brought together representatives of some of the leading companies in the space and defense sector, who agreed on the need to strengthen European strategic capabilities in an international environment marked by growing technological and geopolitical competition.

In his remarks, González Casillas defended the strategic nature of the ground segment as a key element in guaranteeing European and national space sovereignty. He also stressed that having in-house capabilities in this area is essential in order to ensure the operational autonomy of space missions, guaranteeing continuous mission control and preserving the security, integrity, and traceability of data generated during operations.

González Casillas also noted the need to promote sovereign technologies that allow Europe to maintain independence in critical space infrastructure management, reinforcing resilience and the ability to take on complex scenarios.

The participants agreed on three cornerstones for advancing space technological sovereignty: the strengthening of strategic industrial capabilities, sustained political and institutional momentum, and the development of programs and missions with their own technological autonomy.