The Europaeum Technology Forum 2026:
Space Governance: The Fragile Frontier
University of Helsinki | 19 – 20 October 2026
Space has long been governed by a settled, if imperfect, international order. However, the rapid rise of commercial spaceflight, geopolitical turbulence, environmental risk, and regulatory fragmentation are placing that order under acute strain. Understanding how humanity governs our most fragile frontier has never been more urgent.
This Europaeum Seminar will bring master’s and doctoral researchers at Europaeum member universities together in Helsinki to examine the governance of space from an explicitly interdisciplinary perspective. Participants may come from a natural or applied sciences, law, philosophy, or a social science background. They will explore the intersecting challenges of space physics, international law, and political economy that together define humanity’s relationship with outer space.
A limited number of slots will be available for 15-minute student presentations and we invite expressions of interest for them from students in all relevant disciplines. We especially welcome proposals for papers addressing the theme in relation to the following topics:
- International space law and the limits of existing frameworks
- The geopolitics of launch capacity and satellite dependency
- Commercial spaceflight, monopoly, and regulatory challenges
- Very Low Earth Orbit: scientific unknowns and governance gaps
- Space debris, de-orbiting policy, and environmental responsibility
- Space weather, resilience, and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure
- The philosophy of the commons and the ethics of space exploitation
- Military uses of space and the erosion of peaceful norms
- National space strategies and the EU’s role in space governance
- Interdisciplinary approaches to space policy and law
- The future of multilateral cooperation in a fragmented world
Applications should include the Europaeum application form, a brief CV, a statement of purpose (up to 500 words), and a reference letter from their supervisor or academic advisor. Those who wish to submit a paper should also add a short abstract of the proposed paper (up to 500 words).
Only students from Europaeum member universities are eligible to apply.
Reasonable travel expenses to and from Helsinki, as well as accommodation and board during event days, will be covered for selected participants.
For more information about how to apply visit: https://europaeum.org/programmes/events-activities/
Deadline for submission of applications and abstracts: 31 July 2026.
All submissions should be sent to applications@europaeum.org.
