Reference News Network, October 26 report - According to the U.S. "Defense News" weekly website on October 23, the three major European space operators have officially announced the merger of their space operations to cope with competitors such as Starlink. Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo will integrate their satellite and space businesses to establish a new company. The new company will have 25,000 employees, an annual turnover of about 6.5 billion euros, and a full order book for the next three years.
The three companies said: "We expect that, five years after the merger is completed, the joint venture will bring hundreds of millions of euros in synergistic benefits annually, reflected in revenue."
The three companies stated that the new company aims to enhance "the strategic autonomy of Europe in the space sector," adding that "space is a key area that supports important infrastructure and services related to telecommunications, global navigation, Earth observation, scientific exploration, and national security."
They added: "The new company will also be committed to becoming a reliable partner in developing and implementing national sovereignty space projects."
The new company is expected to become operational in 2027.
Airbus will hold 35% of the shares in the new company, while Leonardo and Thales will each hold 32.5%.
The executives of the three companies stated that European space companies need to integrate, just like Airbus, Leonardo, and British BAE Systems merged their missile businesses to form the European Missile Group.
Airbus will transfer its space systems and space digital business into the new company; Leonardo will hand over its space department, including its shares in the Italian Space Communication Company and the French Thales Alenia Space; and Thales will transfer its shares in Thales Alenia Space and the space communication companies.
Facing intense competition from Elon Musk's Starlink, European space companies had already planned to unite. However, industry mergers have also been opposed by EU antitrust officials, who are concerned that excessive concentration of industry power may suppress competition across Europe.
The three companies stated in a statement that Europe now needs to unite to face external competition. The new company "will enhance competitiveness against global peers, achieve critical scale, and ensure Europe's important position in the international space market."
The three companies said: "This collaboration aligns with the ambitions of European governments to strengthen industrial and technological assets, ensuring Europe's autonomy in strategic space areas and numerous application scenarios." (Translated by Guo Jun)
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565439890368823846/
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