This visit represents an important step in efforts to strengthen cooperation between Slovenia and the United States of America in the rapidly developing global space sector.
The Slovenian Space Office, operating under the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, in cooperation with SPIRIT Slovenia, a public agency, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington, organised an outgoing business delegation to the United States from 12 to 18 April 2026. The delegation included ten companies from the space industry: 3GMPLUS, Balmar, CT Management, Dewesoft, Instrumentation Technologies, L-Tek, Paradigma Technologies, Simbased, Skylabs and TIMTEC Defense.
The companies attended the Space Symposium conference in Colorado Springs and presented themselves at a joint stand. The central part of the programme took place in the exhibition area, where numerous meetings were held with important foreign companies and institutions.
The Slovenian delegation, led by Tanja Permozer, Head of the Slovenian Space Office, met with representatives of the companies Vast, Slingshot Aerospace and ExoAnalytic Solutions, with a delegation of the European Space Agency (ESA) as well as with numerous companies from ESA member states and the United States.
Head of the Slovenian Space Office Tanja Permozer also participated in a round table entitled The Global Economics of Space, where she highlighted Slovenia’s key achievements in the space sector: “Slovenia responds to global trends through the targeted development of its space industry. As a full member of the European Space Agency, we systematically invest in strengthening industrial capabilities, particularly in niche technologies with high added value, where Slovenian companies are competitive on an international level. The importance of international cooperation is crucial. Space challenges – from the sustainable use of space to the security and resilience of systems – are too great to be addressed by any single country or company alone. We therefore see a great opportunity to further deepen both European and transatlantic cooperation. Such cooperation strengthens not only technological excellence, but also trust, standards and the stability of the space environment.”
“Only through strong partnerships between countries, international organisations and industry can we ensure that space remains a domain of innovation, economic development and shared progress in the future,” she added.
Important strengthening of international cooperation for Slovenia’s rapidly developing space sector
Strengthening international cooperation with key partners such as ESA, the United States, Italy, France, Germany, Luxembourg and other EU countries is of strategic importance to Slovenia. Over the past decade, the Slovenian space sector has developed significantly. Companies and research organisations have been successful in many areas – from the development of satellites, satellite subsystems and instruments, measurement systems, new materials and 3D printing, to applications for the use of satellite data and systems for the rapid processing of large volumes of space-derived data.
In recent years, certain Slovenian companies have taken leading roles in specific niche areas of the space sector, particularly in Earth observation, innovative technologies and advanced materials. A high level of innovation is also demonstrated by all three Slovenian satellites – Nemo HD, Trisat and Trisat-R.
Although some companies are already cooperating with the United States, numerous new opportunities are emerging to strengthen partnerships in both commercial and strategic areas. The delegation assesses that the visit will significantly contribute to the further growth and integration of the Slovenian economy into the global space value chain.
Meetings with representatives of the companies Vast, ExoAnalytic Solutions and Slingshot Aerospace
An important part of the delegation’s programme also consisted of in-depth meetings with leading American companies operating in the fields of commercial space stations, space observation and advanced satellite operations management.
The Slovenian delegation met with the company Vast, which is currently developing the next generation of commercial space stations to enable a permanent human presence in space and advanced microgravity research. In 2025, the company successfully carried out the Haven Demo mission and became the first commercial company to operate its own spacecraft. Its Haven-1 station will become the first commercial space station in orbit in 2027, and it is also planning habitats for the Moon and Mars.
The delegation also met with representatives from ExoAnalytic Solutions, which operates the world’s largest commercial network of optical telescopes — the ExoAnalytic Global Telescope Network (EGTN), comprising more than 350 autonomous telescopes, as well as provides real-time data on satellites, manoeuvres, anomalies and space debris.
Slingshot Aerospace presented its solutions for advanced detection, data integration, simulation and operational support in space. Their technologies enable satellite operators to move beyond the mere observation of space to both understanding it and making rapid, safe decisions in a complex space environment.
The meetings opened up opportunities for cooperation in areas such as Earth observation technologies, the safe management of satellite systems, innovative materials and the development of future commercial space infrastructures.