Sovereign safety and resilience in the space domain driven by autonomous AI (event: 29 Oct)

An upcoming event on 29 Oct at SBIC will put artificial intelligence (AI) in the spotlight. The afternoon session on AI for Safety & Resilience is co-organised by KickstartAI, NL Space Campus and SBIC Noordwijk. The event will cover AI-driven safety in the space domain and explore how AI and space tech together are strengthening our ability to anticipate, respond to and recover from crises on Earth. Join us from 15:00 and stay for the NL Space Campus Network & Drinks afterwards, which continues the space x AI theme. Register now

KickstartAI, established as an independent non-profit company in 2022, drives initiatives that strengthen the Dutch AI ecosystem and accelerates the application of AI in the Netherlands where it adds most value. It also brings together technical practitioners and strategic leaders at events such as its flagship conference TechDays, taking place in Amsterdam on 15 Oct 2026. Safety and AI is high on the agenda for the organisation with a KickstartAI blog post stating that “the current state of AI in autonomous systems reflects a balance between technical realities and societal concerns about safety and reliability.”

Journalist Ioanna Lykiardopoulou discussed the role of AI in safety and security in a more recent KickstartAI blog post, commenting: “AI plays a critical role in strengthening our safety across diverse domains, from cyber defence to combating financial crime and protecting national security. Yet, this same capability also exposes us to serious risks: AI can serve as both a powerful shield and a vicious sword, depending on who wields it.”

That article explored how AI is being used to reinforce cybersecurity, financial fraud detection, threat prediction and military defence operations. The upcoming event later this month in Noordwijk, that sees KickstartAI collaborating with NL Space Campus and SBIC, takes a look at AI in relation to space tech.

Space tech and AI

More recently in Sep 2026, ESA announced a new collaboration with Mistral on the establishment of a strategic framework in response responds to the growing demand for trusted and sovereign AI capabilities across the space sector.

“Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a key capability for the future of space, and ESA is already demonstrating its value through operational and research projects,” commented ESA director general Josef Aschbacher. “Through this strategic cooperation with Mistral, a leading European AI company, we are taking another important step towards reinforcing Europe’s technological leadership and resilience. Together, we aim to develop innovative, secure and trusted AI solutions that benefit the space sector and European society.” This comes ahead of the 3-day conference on AI next week at ESA ESTEC leading researchers, engineers and industry experts at the intersection of artificial intelligence and space exploration.

It is now timely to put AI, space tech, safety and resilience in the spotlight at the heart of the Dutch space ecosystem in Noordwijk, close to the ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre.

“We are developing innovative, secure and trusted AI solutions that benefit the space sector and European society”

Josef Aschbacher, ESA director general

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The below text is an edited re-post of the details on the KickstartAI booking form

Event: AI for Safety & Resilience on 29 Oct

Space technology is becoming one of our most powerful tools for keeping people and infrastructure safe, from satellites that track floods and wildfires in real time, to AI-powered hardware that makes spacecraft and ground systems smarter and more autonomous.

This event on 29 Oct will explore how AI and space technology together are strengthening our ability to anticipate, respond to and recover from crises on Earth. Join researchers, engineers, and founders from the Dutch AI and space ecosystem for an afternoon session of presentations covering:

• AI in space hardware: onboard AI, autonomous satellite operations, edge computing in orbit, and intelligent systems for spacecraft reliability
• Space technology for a safer tomorrow: Earth observation, satellite-based early warning systems, disaster monitoring, and climate and infrastructure resilience

The session will focus on how these technologies come together to support emergency response, risk modelling and long-term societal resilience.

Navigate the intersectinon of AI and space tech for safety & resilience >>

What to expect

• Talks from practitioners building AI-driven space hardware and Earth-facing applications
• Demos and case studies from the Dutch AI and #SpaceTech ecosystem
• Opportunity to connect with others working on resilience, risk and space innovation
• Drinks and networking afterwards

The presenters will discuss real examples of successful and rejected applications, plus there will be plenty of time for discussion of the individual situations of the participating startups.

Whether you’re building satellites, writing models, working in policy or just curious how space tech helps us prepare for an uncertain future, this event is for you.

AI for Safety & Resilience is co-organised by KickstartAI, NL Space Campus and SBIC Noordwijk. Conversations can continue during the AI x space edition of Network & Drinks. Separate registration is required.

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SPEAKER PROFILES

GOOD TO KNOW:
The event is open to all. Afterwards, you are invited to meet members of the KickstartAI, NL Space Campus and SBIC Noordwijk networks during the monthly NL Space Campus Network & Drinks. Registration is required

View other upcoming events happening at SBIC Noordwijk >>

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