– Korea-Europe Aerospace Experts Share Policy Directions at EKC 2026
– Visits to Major Aerospace Sites in Toulouse, France, Including CNES and Airbus D&S
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (Administrator Taeseog Oh) is to attend the “2026 Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC 2026),” which will be held in Toulouse, France, from July 20 to 21, to present Korea’s aerospace policy directions and seek ways to strengthen cooperation with major space agencies and companies.
EKC is an academic conference jointly organized by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) and Korean Scientists and Engineers Associations in nine European countries. Since its first event held in Heidelberg, Germany in 2008, the conference has served as an annual platform for exchanges among Korean and European science and technology experts.
Toulouse, France, where EKC 2026 will be held, is a leading aerospace city where production and research infrastructure for the European aerospace industry is concentrated, including the headquarters of Airbus. On the afternoon of July 20, Administrator Oh will attend the opening ceremony of EKC 2026 and deliver a keynote speech regarding Korea’s space policy directions. He will introduce the “Korea Aerospace Industry Promotion Strategy,” which was recently finalized at the 5th National Space Committee Meeting, and share KASA’s vision for advancing Korea into one of the world’s top five aerospace powers by 2045 with European aerospace experts.
The two-day visit to Toulouse, France, is being carried out to develop a detailed model for advancing Korea’s aerospace cluster and strengthen existing partnerships, including cooperation in satellite projects. On the morning of July 20, Administrator Oh will visit Aerospace Valley, an aerospace innovation cluster, to discuss advanced cluster operation models, including industry-academia-research-government cooperation structures and startup development programs. He will then visit Airbus D&S, a global satellite manufacturer, to observe first-hand its private sector-led mass production system for satellites.
On the morning of July 21, he will visit the Toulouse Space Centre of the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) to examine satellite operation infrastructure, including AI-based automated control systems. In the afternoon of the same day, he will visit Thales Alenia Space (TAS) to tour key facilities, including the next-generation digital payload integration room, and identify potential areas for future cooperation.
Administrator Oh said, “Korea is opening a new chapter as it moves beyond simple technology development and enters an era of a competitive space economy,” adding, “As space cannot be explored by any single country alone, we will further solidify mutually beneficial partnerships with major European institutions for global shared prosperity and space security.”