--- eventsindex_id: EI-07094 slug: esa-industry-space-days title: ESA Industry Space Days title_alt: - Industry Space Days - ISD ESTEC canonical_url: https://eventsindex.org/events/esa-industry-space-days.html next_edition_dates: 2026-09-16 to 2026-09-17 next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: '2026-09-16' date_end: '2026-09-17' venue: ESA ESTEC city: Noordwijk country: Netherlands organiser: European Space Agency organiser_url: https://isd.esa.int/ b2b: true vector: sector: - space-tech audience: - industry - startup - investor - government format: - matchmaking - conference purpose: - networking - deal-making - education geography_scope: - Europe season: autumn meta_description: 'ESA Industry Space Days 2026, 16-17 September at ESTEC Noordwijk: the European Space Agency''s supplier matchmaking event, 1,500 companies, 60 euro fee.' editorial_take: Two days inside ESA's own technical centre where small suppliers get twenty minutes with the agency and the primes, for the price of a train ticket. generated_by: cowork-vertical-build last_verified: '2026-07-29' schema_version: v8.0 language: en --- # ESA Industry Space Days > *A biennial two-day matchmaking event at ESA's technical centre in Noordwijk, built on pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings between European space companies, the agency and the large system integrators.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | PARTICIPATION | |---|---|---|---| | 16–17 September 2026 | ESA ESTEC, Noordwijk | European Space Agency | around 1,500 companies at the previous edition, 60 euro fee | ## Definition Industry Space Days is the European Space Agency's own supplier and partnership event, held at ESTEC, the agency's technical centre in Noordwijk in the Netherlands. The 2026 edition takes place on 16 and 17 September. It is organised by the SME section within ESA's Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness, and is open to entities and investors from ESA member states, associate states and cooperating states. The format is built on pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, supported by an exhibition, keynotes, panel discussions and ESA presentations on upcoming business opportunities. Around 1,500 companies took part in the previous edition, and exhibition stands for 2026 were sold out well ahead of the date. ## What Industry Space Days is for The event exists to open ESA's supply chain to companies that would otherwise never reach it. European space procurement runs through a small number of large system integrators, and a specialist component maker or a software company has no obvious route in. Industry Space Days gives them a booked meeting slot with ESA technical officers, with the primes, and with each other. That is the whole product, and at 60 euros per person it is priced as a public service rather than as a commercial conference. ## Who attends - Small and medium enterprises supplying space hardware, software and services - Large system integrators and prime contractors - ESA technical officers and procurement staff - National space agencies and regional development bodies - Investors focused on European space companies - Research institutes and technology transfer offices ## How the matchmaking works Participants register on a business-to-business platform, publish a profile describing what they offer or seek, and request meetings with other participants. Meeting slots are confirmed ahead of the event and attendees arrive with a fixed personal schedule. Around that grid run keynotes, ESA briefings on upcoming calls and procurement plans, panel sessions and an exhibition of company stands. ## Why the venue matters ESTEC is where ESA's spacecraft are designed and tested, not a conference centre. Holding the event there puts suppliers physically inside the agency's technical environment, with access to staff who normally sit behind a procurement portal. It also constrains capacity, which is why stands sell out early and registration closes ahead of the date. ## FAQ · Identity and audience ### Is Industry Space Days annual? No. It is a biennial gathering of the European space community at ESTEC, which is why the 2026 dates matter for anyone building a supplier strategy: the next opportunity is two years later. ### Who can register? Entities and investors from ESA member states, associate states and cooperating states. It is not open to the general public and is not a consumer or student event. ### Is it worth attending without a meeting schedule? Not really. The value is in the booked one-to-one meetings. Attending without having filled the platform profile and requested meetings wastes the trip. ## The organiser: ESA's SME section The event is run by the SME section of ESA's Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness, whose function is to widen the agency's supplier base beyond the established primes. --- ## Editorial take *Two days inside ESA's own technical centre where small suppliers get twenty minutes with the agency and the primes, for the price of a train ticket.* ## How to register and what it costs Registration is through the event's online portal at a participation fee of 60 euros per person excluding VAT. The fee covers event entry, access to the business-to-business meeting platform, shuttle services, two lunches and a networking reception. Exhibition stands are booked separately and were reported sold out for the 2026 edition. ## FAQ · Access and practicalities ### When and where does the 2026 edition take place? 16 and 17 September 2026 at ESA ESTEC, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. ### How much does it cost? 60 euros per person excluding VAT, which includes the meeting platform, shuttles, two lunches and the networking reception. ### How do I get to ESTEC? Noordwijk is on the Dutch coast roughly 30 minutes from Schiphol and 20 minutes from Leiden. The organiser runs shuttle services included in the participation fee. ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://isd.esa.int/ | | ESA SME and industry | https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/Small_and_Medium_Sized_Enterprises | --- **Last verified:** 2026-07-29 **Next review:** 2026-09-01 **Notes:** The 1,500 company figure refers to the previous edition. Stand availability for 2026 was reported sold out at the verification date; meeting-platform registration remained open. **Variables:** 39/58 **Concept definition:** applicable