Type of Content: National Space Strategy
Description
1. National Space Strategy 2022-2027
The vision is for Cyprus to become a knowledge-based society, based on modern technologies and innovations, with the aim of achieving the strategic objective of establishing the country as a regional hub in the Eastern Mediterranean region. To achieve this ambitious goal, the State promotes space, information and communication technologies at all levels of life in the country.
By Decision No 67.802 of 17.10.2008, the Council ofMinisters approved a series of measures and actions for the effective participation of the Republic of Cyprus in European Space Policy, including the GALILEO programme, Copernicus and the Republic’s relations with the European Space Agency (ESA), assigning responsibility for these matters to the Department of Electronic Communications of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy.
In this rapidly changing sector, where States and businesses are now heavily active, Cyprus must exploit its own potential. The purpose of the National Strategy 2022-2027, approved by the Council of Ministers on 21/12/2022, is to analyse the current situation in Cyprus with regard to space technologies, also in relation to the international environment, and to assess the prospects offered by the further development of space technologies for Cypriot society, through targeted actions. The National Space Strategy includes the significant benefits of a possible further strengthening of cooperation between Cyprus and ESA.
The use of space technologies, through a structured strategy, is a high priority on the political agenda of Cyprus, as these technologies can play a key role, enabling the promotion of research and innovation, an inclusive society, the achievement of the smart and sustainable economy, and the wider development of excellence. The use of these technologies in all vital sectors of Cyprus’s economy and society (e.g. education, health, environment, tourism, transport, agriculture, energy savings) is of paramount importance for Cyprus’s development in a regional service centre and attracting foreign investment.
Cyprus urgently needs to move away from the traditional sectors of the economy and invest in new sectors, such as applications using space technologies, which create added value and innovation, and at the same time upgrade the products of traditional industries. We should therefore empower the ecosystem for the use and exploitation of space technologies.
Cyprus has set as priorities (a) satellite communications, (b) Earth observation, (c) search and rescue of citizens (navigation) and (d) strengthening its relations with ESA.
Inaddition, this strategy will achieve synergies with other strategies of the Republic of Cyprus (e.g. digital strategy, smart specialisation strategy, research and innovation strategy, green growth strategy, blue growth strategy).
2. Importance of Space Technologies
Space activities and applications are vital for the development and growth of our society and often directly affect the daily lives of citizens in all areas:
• social: citizens’ wellbeing depends on space policy in areas such as environment, climate change response, state and private security, humanitarian and development aid, transport, information society
• economic: space is a parent of knowledge, new products and new forms of industrial cooperation, a driver of innovation and contributes to competitiveness, growth and job creation
• strategic: space allows the country to strengthen its position as a major player on the world stage and contributes to its economic and political independence.
Space has become an integral part of our daily lives. Citizens increasingly rely on space technologies when using their mobile phone, watching TV, when travelling, getting the weather forecast, when their safety is at risk (border protection, climate change, earthquakes, fires, floods). This continuous growing evolution of the space sector, with corresponding public and private investment, promises to help people solve some of the biggest challenges it will face over the coming decades.
The strategic importance of space technology and its applications for socio-economic prosperity and growth, the creation of new jobs, as well as the promotion of scientific excellence and research, is now undeniable. In particular, the organisation and management of public safety and civil protection issues, environmental monitoring and protection, anticipation and response to natural disasters, as well as smart management of resources (water, energy, agricultural, cultural) and infrastructure (transport and energy networks) are areas where space applications can provide solutions with significant added value. Recognising this importance, the European Union (EU), with the Lisbon Treaty, the “Europe 2020 Strategy” and the Communication “Unleashing the Potential for Economic Development in the Space Sector” has made it a priority to develop a European Space Policy with a view to actively promoting space applications.
Space is also a global business. At European level, both the EU and the European Space Agency (ESA) seek to strengthen the competitiveness of the European space industry. It should be noted that the period is the first economy to exceed USD one (1) trillion in turnover by 2030.
3. European Union – EU Space Regulation and related European Space Programmes/Initiatives – Potential Users in Cyprus
The EU Space Programme 2021-2027 provides for the first time a common framework for all space data and services. The new programme/regulation places great emphasis on the downstream sector, in particular the market uptake and exploitation of space data. A strong and dynamic space sector is essential for the implementation of the EU’s Green Deal and Digital Transformation strategies. In addition, space is an enabler for a wide range of other EU activities and policies.
The EU has made significant investments in the relevant space programmes. For information, Copernicus (Earth Observation) is the world’s leading observation data provider, with more than 500.000 users (organisations) registered at the end of 2020. On the other hand, Galileo, Europe’s global navigation satellite system, is the most expensive (now above the American GPS to just 20 cm) satellite navigation system in the world, with almost 2 billion users being one of the EU’s most successful services.
To further strengthen the space sector in 2021-2027, the European Commission intends to expand these initiatives, making use of the various Union programmes such as Horizon Europe and InvestEU. In addition, the Commission is launching a new space entrepreneurship initiative, CASSINI (Competitive Space Start-ups for INnovatIon), to bring space start-ups to market and facilitate access to public and private capital. The EU is also advancing with the establishment of the Knowledge Centre for Earth Observation (KCEO), to increase the use of Copernicus within the work of the Commission and other EU institutions/bodies, and which will interconnect space data and services with all EU sectors and policies. The use of data from the Galileo and Copernicus systems in Horizon Europe has also been made mandatory for the first time.
Furthermore, the EU states that the use of space technologies will now be included in all legislation and therefore new obligations will be created in the Member States in relation to this sector. In addition, the new Space Programme Regulation will provide a coherent framework for the use of space data and services, and in cooperation with the Member States there will be a continuous evaluation, based on KPA’s, of the progress of the programme and the achievement of the related objectives.
Cyprus (represented by DEC), under the new EU Regulation, like the other Member States, is obliged to monitor the Space Programme Committee (Comitology), which will meet with the following configurations, at approximately 20 meetings per year:
• Horizontal
• Galileo/EGNOS
• Security
• GOVSATCOM (Governmental Secure Satellite Communications)
• SSA (Space Situational Awareness, i.e Space surveillance and tracking, Space weather, near-Earth objects)
• Copernicus
The new Regulation also creates a new Authority, EUSPA (Space Authority for the European Space Programme), which, in cooperation with the other 2 institutional partners (Commission, ESA), will be instrumental in promoting the ‘market uptake’ of the European space programmes Copernicus, Galileo/EGNOS, GOVSATCOM and SSA/SST, so that European investments in space technologies reflect significant improvements and benefits in the quality of life of citizens. Cyprus (represented by DEC) also has the obligation to participate in the work of this Agency.
Finally, it is well known that the Deputy Minister for Education and Food, represents the Republic of Cyprus, with the support of DEC, at the Competitiveness Council (Thematic Space) of the European Union, where intense activity is expected.
The main EU space programmes and initiatives are as follows:
i. Galileo/EGNOS Satellite Navigation Programme
ii. Copernicus Earth Observation Programme
iii. EU GOVSATCOM programme
iv. Space Situational Awareness/Space Surveillance and Tracking (SSA/SST)
v. Space Based Secured Connectivity Programme-IRIS2
vi. EuroQCI (European Quantum Communication Infrastructure)
vii. Space Traffic Management -STM
4. Benefits of using space technologies using the above European programmes
The use of space technologies under the above European programmes will contribute to the following areas:
Strategic autonomy in global space infrastructure, services, applications and data
• contributing to further strengthening the EU’s ability to understand, develop, operate and exploit competitive space technologies and systems, related services and applications in space and ground and to develop new flexible, scalable, secure and sustainable systems approaches, ensuring autonomy
Green transition
• supporting the transition of industry to zero industrial waste
• encouraging the use of innovative solutions for more efficient exploitation of natural resources
• assisting Research and Innovation for the implementation of the ‘safe and sustainable design’ framework and for chemicals
• via digital and space technologies (combination of images and data), smart robots/drones, information from Copernicus Earth Observation satellites, as well as accurate positioning and navigation services by Galileo/EGNOS
Digital transition
• driving AI in a trustworthy direction (in line with European legislation)
• understanding the advantages and impacts of digitalisation
• using the Copernicus satellite network for climate and biodiversity monitoring
• developing a satellite astronomy to provide secure, low-delay communication services worldwide and free of charge to governmental users, based on space and ground infrastructure, as defined in IRIS2
Health
• key enabling technologies, including artificial intelligence
• Digital Twins and Metaverse for personalised disease forecasting, prevention and treatment
• digitalisation of the health sector (e.g. medical-diagnostic devices and telemedicine)
• regulatory science and standards for health and care tools and technologies
• cybersecurity of health systems and infrastructures
Culture
• promoting technological progress to empower society and make it more sustainable, socially, economically and environmentally
• study on citizen participation and public participation in industrial technologies
• changes in the work model
Political security for society
• digital technologies for security (in border management, the fight against trafficking of illicit goods, etc.)
• use of earth observation data (e.g. for extreme climate events and natural disasters) for security policy planning and emergency actions
Climate and energy
• technologies for the construction of energy systems, transport vehicles and infrastructure
• common critical technologies and equipment in space and aviation. Airborne access to space
Bioeconomy and Environment
• systemic transition to digital transformation
• environmental observations (e.g. crop control, fisheries control, biodiversity monitoring, etc.)
International cooperation
• necessary for technological developments and for extending the use of European space programmes such as Galileo and Copernicus to other regions in the world, thus strengthening Europe’s geopolitical role
Please find below the National Space Strategy 2022-2027, as approved by the Council of Ministers in December 2022:
Cyprus Space Strategy 2022-2027.pdf (File Size: 2522,41Kb), opens in a new window