Strategies in Satellite Ground Segment Conference reaches new heights
- Satellite Evolution Group
- 19 hours ago
- 8 min read
World-class speakers and VIP delegates from across Europe, Asia, the United States, the Middle East, and Africa came together to make this year’s Strategies in Satellite Ground Segment (SSGS) conference a truly international showcase of innovation and collaboration.
Held on 8–9 October at London’s Park Plaza Victoria Hotel, the event reached record attendance, welcoming leaders from the UK MoD, Italian MoD, ESA, Airbus, Babcock, Lockheed Martin, BT Group, Vodafone, Viasat, GSMA, GSOA, UK Space Command, and many other prominent organizations shaping the future of the satellite ground segment.
“We were thrilled to host such an exceptional lineup of speakers and delegates at SSGS,” said Event Director Kevin French. “Their participation reinforces our commitment to driving forward this one-of-a-kind global forum for ground segment excellence.”
Inspiring Insights and Unmatched Expertise
The conference opened with a captivating keynote address from Dr Ulpia-Elena Botezatu, Chair of Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, who explored the vital intersection of space governance, infrastructure protection, and security in orbit.
Next, Mark Dickinson, CTO of Neo Space Group, delivered a visionary talk on “Unlocking the Potential of Space – from Saudi Arabia to the World,” highlighting the importance of national sovereignty, innovation, and global space leadership.
An outstanding session followed from Professor Andy Sutton MBE, Principal Network Architect at BT Group, who revealed how BT is pioneering multi-orbit, converged network strategies—blending terrestrial and satellite systems to deliver resilient, next-generation connectivity across rural and critical sectors.
A Packed Programme of Innovation
The momentum continued with expert perspectives from:
Alix Rousselière, Senior Consultant at Novaspace, sharing a strategic outlook on the evolving satellite ground segment market.
Jake Saunders, Managing Director & VP of ABI Research, debating whether satellite IoT can rival terrestrial cellular networks.
Mohamed Alfaisal, CBO of Saudi Net Link Holding (SNL), outlining the company’s ambitious role in regional service delivery and infrastructure expansion.
Engaging Debates and Global Perspectives
Three high-energy panel discussions brought together a stellar roster of industry leaders, including Randall Barney (WTA), Francesco Cataldo (iKO Media Group), Miguel Pena (Celestia Group), Andrew Bond (ETL Systems), Phil Beecher (Wi-SUN Alliance), Nicolaus Hanowski (ESA), and many more.
Together, they captivated audiences with deep insights into IoT evolution, teleport and earth station strategies, innovation across the value chain, and regional market dynamics, setting the tone for a conference that was as informative as it was inspiring.
Defence Takes Centre Stage on Day Two
Day Two of SSGS2025 shifted focus to the defence domain, opening with a powerful Keynote Address from Barry Austin, Satcom Head, Defence Digital, UK MoD, and Peter Lymn, SKYNET Integrated Enterprise Solution (SKIES) Lead, UK MoD. Delegates gained rare insight into Skynet — the UK’s largest defence space project, where an impressive 75% of the investment is focused on the ground segment.
The morning continued with thought-provoking presentations, including Luke Wyles, Programme Head, Space Ground Segment at Analysys Mason, who explored “Resilient Ground Segment: The Critical Backbone for Military Space Superiority.” He was followed by Nick Bolan, Mil Space Capability Lead at Airbus Defence & Space, who captivated the audience with his deep dive into strategies for optimizing resilience in modern defence networks.
The afternoon sessions brought a series of expert-led panels, featuring high-profile contributors such as:
Wing Commander Dave Black (UK Space Command);
Sergio Encabo (INTEGRASYS);
Jessie Hamill-Stewart (CySpace Connected Capability Network / University of Bath & Bristol);
Rainer Wansch (Fraunhofer IIS);
Antonio Franchi (ESA);
Alex Sinclair (GSMA);
Isabelle Mauro (GSOA);
Yasir Babiker (SNL); and
Aurélien Fougerard (Neo Space Group).
Together, they explored critical themes shaping the future of defence communications — from multi-mission satcom operations, cybersecurity, and AI integration, to 5G/6G network transformation and real-time Earth Observation and geospatial intelligence.
The day’s discussions underscored one clear message: the ground segment is the strategic heart of modern defence capability.
Valuable Understanding of Current Initiatives and Collaborations
The industry is evolving at warp speed—and this event kept pace. From cutting-edge sessions led by top minds to networking with the most influential players in the field, attendees got an insider’s look at the innovations redefining connectivity. The big question now: did SSGS deliver on its promise?
“The SKYNET delivery team were delighted to be invited to present a keynote address at SSGS2025. We were particularly keen to meet and be exposed to SMEs and suppliers that we have not traditionally done business within the SKYNET Enterprise. We found both the content of the conference and the associated networking opportunities equally informing and rewarding. We have come away with new contacts to follow up on and new suggestions to ponder as we continue to take SKYNET forward,” said Peter Lymn, SKYNET Integrated Enterprise Solution (SKIES) Lead, UK MoD.
“I truly enjoyed attending Conference SSGS, as it provided a broad and insightful perspective on the space ecosystem and defense landscape in the UK. The discussions with UK Space Command and the key active players were particularly engaging, and a valuable understanding of current initiatives and collaborations. It was encouraging to see the growing interest and commitment to advancing space and defense development in the region,'' said Sergio Encabo - Benelux Head of Office – INTEGRASYS.
“SSGS2025 is the rare event that truly puts the ground segment centre stage. The mix of senior operators, vendors and government stakeholders surfaced the real challenges and paired them with practical, resilient solutions across cybersecurity, AI, electronic gateways, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), optical and IoT,” said Malachy Devlin, CEO, Celestia UK.
“SSGS2025 was a well-organized and excellent event that proved to be at the cutting-edge and very relevant to the developing space ground segment. A great platform for the Atheras Analytics team to meet key industry players and demonstrate our range of AI tools for satellite operators and satellite internet users,” said David Gibbons, CEO / Director General. Atheras Analytics SAS.
"SSGS provided a valuable platform to discuss the critical role of ground segment infrastructure—particularly as new technologies like 5G, NB and NR NTN bridge the worlds of terrestrial and satellite—in the evolving broadcast ecosystem. The quality of discussion and depth of expertise in the presentations highlighted just how much more we can achieve as an industry. Bringing global industry leaders together in a focused setting creates not only insight, but also meaningful opportunities to connect and collaborate. We’re proud to contribute to that momentum and honoured that our efforts were recognised with an award at the event," said Francesco Cataldo, Chairman of iKO Media Group.
''We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the SSGS team for arranging this outstanding event. Although we confirmed our attendance late, we are so glad we didn't miss this opportunity. We were able to connect with key leaders in our space industry, gaining crucial insight into their visions, forecasts, and the newest developments in technology. Considering the quality of the experience and organization, it is clear the SSGS is an exceptional and vital event in space technology, even in only its second iteration. We are already looking forward to the 2026 summit,'' said Mohamed Alfaisal, Chief Business Development Officer (CBO),Saudi Net Link Holding (SNL).
“SSGS 2025 was an outstanding platform that brought together global leaders to discuss the evolving landscape of satellite ground infrastructure. It was inspiring to see such depth of dialogue on innovation, resilience, and sovereign capability. At Neo Space Group, we value opportunities like this to share our vision and collaborate with partners driving the future of the space and satellite industry,” said Mark Dickinson, CTO & A/COO, Neo Space Group.
Celebrating Excellence in Ground Segment Innovation
In celebration of cutting-edge breakthroughs and trailblazing leadership in satellite communications, SSGS2025 proudly recognized the companies and individuals redefining the future of the Ground Segment sector.
Following a dynamic first day of conference sessions, the atmosphere shifted to one of celebration as Richard Hooper, Publisher of Satellite Evolution Group, took the stage during an informal drinks reception to present this year’s prestigious SSGS Awards.
“It’s a real pleasure to acknowledge and honour the visionaries who are transforming the ground segment industry,” said Richard Hooper. “We received an incredible number of entries this year, and selecting the winners was no easy task. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part—and for those who didn’t win this time, we encourage you to come back stronger next year.”
The evening served as a fitting tribute to the innovation, collaboration, and relentless drive that continue to propel the satellite ground segment industry forward.
Executive of the Year
Winner: Martijn Blanken – Neo Space Group
Since joining Saudi Arabia's Neo Space Group (NSG) as CEO in July 2024, Martijn Blanken has led the organization through one of the most dynamic and impactful first-year performances the regional satellite and space sector has ever seen.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Martin Coleman
Recognizing Martin Coleman's outstanding contribution and commitment to combatting the costly problem of satellite radio frequency interference.
Best Digital Innovation of Year
Winner: iKO Media Group
iKO Media Group and its pioneering FAST Track solution for the Digital Innovation of the Year Award. At its heart, FAST Track represents a major leap forward in the satellite ground segment: it proves that satellite infrastructure is not a legacy platform but a vital foundation for the future of digital television.
Collaboration of the Year
Winner: The Military University of Technology
The Military University of Technology (Poland) was established between 2024 and 2025 as a result of fruitful cooperation with renowned technological partners from Poland and Europe including:
• KenBIT Sp.
• Safran Data Systems,
• Terma GmbH,
• Leaf Space S.p.A.
Thanks to this investment, the Military University of Technology has become the only institution in Poland equipped with both the infrastructure and expertise necessary to autonomously conduct satellite operations and to train future satellite system operators.
Enterprise Project of the Year
Winner: Celestia UK
Celestia UK has developed and tested the world’s first Ka-band phased array ground station with Eutelsat OneWeb’s JoeySat satellite, enabling reliable multibeam connectivity across dynamic orbital distances and environmental extremes.
Operator of the Year
Winner: Azercosmos
Azercosmos is the national satellite operator of Azerbaijan, managing a fleet of telecommunications and Earth observation satellites to provide global services, including broadcasting, broadband, and satellite imagery.
Government Solution of the Year
Winner: Global Invacom
Global Skyware’s XRJ is a breakthrough in cutting edge Ka-band VSAT engineering techniques. This multi-orbit transceiver has been optimized for the demanding government and defence market.
Planning Underway for October 2026
“It’s been incredibly rewarding being part of the SSGS 2025 organizing team,” said Belinda Bradford, Satellite Evolution Group. “We’re proud to see SSGS continue to grow each year as a truly global event dedicated to the ground segment industry, and we extend our sincere thanks to all sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, and delegates for contributing to its success. Planning is already underway for SSGS2026 — and we look forward to welcoming everyone back next year!”
