During Dr. Stefaan De Mey keynote session, attendees will be taken on a journey through the Terrae Novae exploration programme, outlining Europe’s ambitions in low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars within an increasingly competitive global space landscape. The session highlights how operating in extreme environments demands systems that are inherently reliable and designed for longevity, where immediate intervention is not an option and failure is not tolerated.

The keynote will explore the evolving relationship between humans and technology, with a focus on collaboration between astronauts and robotic systems. Advances in autonomy and remote decision-making are enabling more resilient operations, offering powerful insights into how complex systems can function efficiently under pressure.

Building on these principles, the session connects space exploration to asset management on Earth. It emphasises a shift from traditional replacement models to lifecycle-focused strategies, where managing risk and performance becomes critical in environments with limited maintenance opportunities.

Attendees will leave with practical takeaways on how space-driven approaches to reliability, sustainability, and performance can be applied to infrastructure and industrial systems—offering a fresh perspective on strengthening long-term asset strategies.