Slovenia to become ESA’s 23rd Member State

In a ceremony taking place at ESA Headquarters in Paris, the Agreement was signed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Robert Golob and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.

Other government officials and representatives of ESA and the Slovenian space sector attended the ceremony, including ESA Council Chair Renato Krpoun, the State Secretary of the Slovenian Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport Matevž Frangež, the Head of the Slovenian Space Office and delegation to ESA Tanja Permozer, and the Slovenian ambassador to France HE Metka Ipavic.

Slovenia has been working with ESA since 2008, when it signed a first Cooperation Agreement, followed by a European Cooperation Agreement. This cooperation was strengthened with its accession to associate membership in 2016, which it upgraded in 2020 with a new Agreement for an enhanced Association. This included a provision that after its expiration in 2025, Slovenia can apply for ESA membership.

In recent years, Slovenia has built a ever growing  space sector, which consists of more than 40 small and medium-sized companies, with some taking leading roles in several  space fields including of Earth observation, the development of innovative technologies and new materials.

There are currently three Slovenian satellites in space. The most innovative of them, launched by ESA’s Vega rocket, is the Skylabs Trisat-R satellite, which represents an important European achievement in the miniaturisation of space technologies.

Slovenian scientists are also active in human health research. An ESA research facility was established in Planica, as a result of the activities of the Jožef Stefan Institute in research into adaptation of physiological systems to weightlessness. This centre houses one of three human centrifuges available to ESA for research purposes.

In 2023, Slovenia prepared a national space strategy (‘Small on Earth, big in space’) to pursue greater commercialisation of research and innovation in the field of space, which can significantly contribute to faster economic development, the green and digital transition, and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

At the Space Summit in November 2023, Slovenian State Secretary Matevž Frangež handed to ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher a letter expressing the request of Slovenia for ESA to begin the process of reviewing the country’s readiness to accede to the ESA Convention.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said, “It has been quite an impressive journey since the first Cooperation Agreement concluded 15 years ago. This signature is a key milestone not only for Slovenia but also for ESA, which proves to be still attractive, 50 years after its creation, and thanks to the transformation undertaken to adapt it to current expectations and challenges.”

Being a Member State of ESA brings advantages and new opportunities, as well as additional obligations in terms of funding and workforce management. It will additionally open the door for the participation of Slovenian companies in programmes in which the Slovenian space sector has not been able to participate so far, such as space science and technology.

Following the conclusion of the ratification process by the Slovenian Government and once the ratification instrument is deposited with the Government of France, Slovenia will become officially the 23rd ESA Member State.