The 12+8 month study is funded by and implemented on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space. It will define the end-to-end EOGS architecture, covering the space, ground and user segments as well as the concept of operations, security model and governance.
ICEYE said the work will help determine how Europe develops sovereign Earth Observation capabilities over the next decade and beyond. EOGS is intended to provide a common operational framework combining national, institutional and commercial capabilities as the EU strengthens its security, resilience and strategic autonomy.
“Europe cannot defend what it cannot see,” said Rafał Modrzewski, CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE. “The study awarded today will help fundamentally define Europe’s future architecture for resilience and security – the first step toward a federated system of interoperable sovereign space capabilities delivering European-scale security and situational awareness.”
ICEYE leads a consortium spanning the European industrial chain, with Indra Space, Rheinmetall and HISDESAT forming the core team, alongside Starion, T-systems, SafranAI, Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions, Creotech Instruments and CTI Aeroespacial. FSO Instruments, OroraTech and Unseenlabs will provide focused consulting support.
The partners combine operational systems with institutional and national capabilities across defence, security, classified Earth Observation, dual-use operations, sovereign cloud and data infrastructure, system accreditation, intelligence analytics, and mission and upstream development. “We are proud to work closely with European institutions to help build an environment in which Europe’s technology companies can scale in Europe, become global champions, and ensure that critical sovereign capabilities remain firmly in European hands,” Modrzewski said.
“Europe’s future Earth Observation capability has to be built on trusted institutional expertise and strong industrial collaboration,” said Miguel Ángel Panduro, CEO of Indra Space. “This contract advances a more sovereign and resilient European capability, fully aligned with Indra’s strategy to develop integrated space systems that strengthen Europe’s autonomy, security and resilience.”
Rheinmetall said the initiative reflects the growing importance of connecting space with other operational domains. “Future defence capabilities will increasingly depend on the seamless integration of space, land, air, sea and digital domains. Consortia like ARISE are an important step towards strengthening Europe’s resilience across this connected battlespace,” said Timo Haas, CEO Rheinmetall-Division Digital Systems.
HISDESAT will contribute experience from its 25-year track record in secure satellite operations to the architecture study. “Hisdesat, as dual-use operator with 25-year track record in secure satellite operations, brings agility, robust data resilience, and proven security protocols to the ARISE consortium, ensuring that the EOGS architecture study delivers both rapid responsiveness and enduring, interoperable solutions for Earth observation,” said Ana María Molina Sánchez, Chief Executive Officer, HISDESAT S.A.
“This is an important step in paving the way towards a sovereign European Earth observation capability supporting security and resilience,” said Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes. “We are pleased that ICEYE and the ARISE consortium are now poised to contribute to the blueprint to help shape Europe’s Earth observation capabilities for the next decade and beyond, bringing together national, institutional and commercial assets within a shared operational framework aimed to strengthen Europe’s resilience and strategic autonomy.”
The results of the study will inform implementation of EOGS under the EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034. ICEYE said the project is intended to help create conditions in which European technology companies can scale in Europe while keeping critical sovereign capabilities under European control.
