How PRR Investment Is Positioning Portugal at the Forefront of Space Security
Space has entered a new era, one defined by speed, scale and strategic relevance. What was once a domain once led by institutional missions is now a highly dynamic commercial environment, with thousands of satellites launched every year to support communications, navigation, Earth observation and security applications. This rapid transformation has unlocked unprecedented opportunities for innovation, economic growth and technological leadership. At the same time, it has introduced new and complex risks that can no longer be addressed with legacy approaches.
Against this backdrop, the NEURASPACE – AI Fights Space Debris Mobilising Agenda was created: a strategic project supported by Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) that positions Portugal at the forefront of European space traffic management. The PRR acted as a catalyst, enabling Neuraspace to accelerate investment in artificial intelligence, proprietary infrastructure, and advanced operational capabilities. More than funding a single company, it supported the development of a critical national capability aligned with Europe’s long-term needs in space safety and security.
Today, the outcome is clear: the investment was well applied, the capability was built, and the impact is tangible.
A Global Challenge With Local Impact
The rapid expansion of space activity is not a distant or abstract issue, it is a global challenge with direct consequences for governments, operators, and societies on Earth. In 2025, there are approximately 15,000 active satellites in orbit. By 2030, that number is expected to exceed 100,0001. Over the past five years alone, commercial satellites have grown by nearly 900%, now accounting for the vast majority of orbital launches.
This growth is:
Yet it is unfolding in an orbital environment that is already congested and degraded. Today:
Without active and coordinated management, space, a critical infrastructure underpinning modern life, risks becoming progressively unusable, with serious economic, security and environmental consequences.
PRR as a Strategic Catalyst
Addressing orbital congestion and collision risk requires more than incremental improvements. It demands long-term investment, advanced technology and coordinated industrial capacity. In this context, space traffic management (STM) is no longer optional. It has become critical infrastructure, comparable to energy grids or digital networks, and a strategic priority for Europe. The PRR made it possible to accelerate a Portuguese response to this global challenge by supporting the development of:
By enabling sustained investment at scale, the PRR laid the foundation for a sovereign, exportable and operational European STM solution, designed and operated from Portugal.
Neuraspace Today: Scale, Technology, and Results
With PRR support, Neuraspace has transitioned from a fast-growing technology company into a fully operational space traffic management provider, serving both institutional and commercial customers worldwide. The project enabled Neuraspace to scale its team, infrastructure and product offering, while delivering measurable economic and strategic impact. With PRR support, Neuraspace has consolidated its position as one of Europe’s leading Space Traffic Management (STM) operators.
Institutional
Commercial
Operational Capability Built in Portugal
One of the most significant outcomes of the project was the creation of an end-to-end operational capability, built in Portugal and operated at international scale. This capability directly contributes to European strategic autonomy by reducing reliance on external systems and enabling independent, high-quality space situational awareness.
Optical telescopes:
Detection capability:
Neuraspace also delivers real-time, AI-powered automated Conjunction Data Messages (CDMs), significantly improving response times and operational safety. This capability did not previously exist in Portugal, and today it is internationally recognised.
Beyond Technology: Strategic Impact
While advanced technology is at the core of the project, its impact extends far beyond technical capability alone. The solutions developed under the PRR directly contribute to Europe’s broader objectives in security, resilience and sovereignty, reinforcing space as a strategic domain.
This project directly supports:
With PRR support, Portugal has moved from being primarily a consumer of external space systems to a creator of critical space technology, with proprietary capabilities that are scalable, exportable, and strategically relevant.
An Investment With a Clear Return
The NEURASPACE – AI Fights Space Debris Mobilising Agenda stands as a concrete example of how targeted public investment can generate long-term value. Beyond immediate technological outcomes, the project demonstrates how PRR funding can:
The investment was well applied. The capability was built. And Portugal has secured a stronger, more strategic role in Europe’s space economy.
Project Factsheet
Project: Neuraspace – AI Fights Space Debris
Operation Type: Mobilising Agendas and Alliances for Reindustrialisation
Operation Code: 2022-C05i0101-02
Regions: Centre, Alentejo, Azores
Lead Promoter: Neuraspace
Co-promoters:
Start Date: 01/05/2022
End Date: 31/12/2026
Total Eligible Investment: €18,767,118
Funding Programme: Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR)
Looking Ahead
Every day, our teams work to make space safer, more sustainable and more resilient, translating complex space data into operational insight that supports decision-makers, protects critical assets and enables responsible growth in orbit. Guided by a long-term vision and supported by strategic initiatives such as the PRR, Neuraspace continues to strengthen Europe’s capacity to operate securely in space, while building technology that is operational, trusted and globally relevant. This is not only about managing today’s risks, but about ensuring that space remains a reliable and accessible domain for generations to come.
References:
1 Signé, L. (2026). AI drives new opportunities and risks in space. Brookings Institution – TechTank, Center for Technology Innovation, January 23, 2026.