Today, at the SpaceBound 2025 Conference, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, made the historic announcement that Canada will increase its investment to European Space Agency (ESA) programs by $528.5 million. This investment represents a tenfold increase compared to previous contributions and is set to advance research and development of Canadian-made space technologies for both civilian and defence purposes. It will help build an industrial base that is ready and capable of supporting Canada's commercial, defence and security needs.
Canada is navigating a world that is increasingly more complex and more dangerous, one that demands that we explore new approaches to our economy, our national defence and our international partnerships with trusted allies. This includes building a new, ambitious, and more comprehensive partnership with the European Union, its member countries and multilateral organizations.
Canada's longstanding cooperation with ESA provides Canadian companies with privileged access to the European space market. Every dollar awarded to Canadian businesses through ESA contracts generates over three dollars in follow-on sales, benefitting Canadian organizations and injecting value into the Canadian economy. Canada's ESA investment will provide direct opportunities for the Canadian space sector to increase exports, diversify partnerships and promote Canada's cutting-edge expertise and space technology in the European market.
