Media
TechTalks - EIC Programme Manager Stella TkatchovaTechTalks - EIC Programme Manager Stella Tkatchova 
#EUeic Podcast Series - Episode 1: Eliminating space debris with innovative technologiesEpisode 1: Eliminating space debris with innovative technologies 
Strengthening sustainability & resilience of EU space infrastructure - #eicPathfinder ChallengesStrengthening sustainability & resilience of EU space infrastructure - #eicPathfinder Challenges
Biography
EIC Programme Manager for Space systems & technologies
Stella’s expertise is in the commercialization of space technologies. Previously she worked as a commercialization and project manager in the European space industry, managing a number of projects in the telecommunications (e.g. ESA ARTES INDIGO public private partnership, GOVSATCOM, O3B) and Earth observation (e.g. Copernicus Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 3) domains. Her expertise also includes managing and reviewing R&I exploratory projects in the aviation industry for the European Commission. As a commercialization manager, she co-founded a company and helped several SMEs and start-ups grow in the Newspace industry. Earlier in her career, she worked at ESA’s European Space and Technology Centre (ESTEC) on the EU Galileo and the International Space Station (ISS) programs.
She was awarded a PhD by the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of TU-Delft, the Netherlands and a Master of Space Studies from the International Space University (ISU), Strasbourg, France. She has written numerous articles, books, produced webinars and podcasts on problems related to the commercialization of space technology, the Newspace economy, space debris mitigation, on-orbit servicing, active debris removal and cis-lunar exploration. Her recent scholarly interest is focused on the future evolution of technology innovations for space debris mitigation, on-orbit satellite servicing and active space debris removal services. She is the founder and former editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Space Technology Management & Innovation (IJSTMI).
Start date: March 2022
Outreach activities
- 27 June 2025Info Space Days 2025, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Invited speaker to present WP2025 "Accelerator Innovative in-space servicing, operations, robotics and technologies for resilient EU space infrastructure"
- 11 June 2025ESA Zero Debris Future Symposium, Darmstadt, Germany
- Invited speaker to Session 3 – Challenges for the emergence of a Zero Debris market
- 5 June 2025In Orbit Servicing, Assembly & Manufacturing Conference 2025, Belfast, UK
- Invited speaker " The Need for Standardisation in ISAM: Progress and Challenges"
- 28 May 2025EU Space Days 2025, Gdansk, Poland
- Invited speaker to the roundtable " Investments in the EU space sector: How to become a leader?"
- 15 May 2025Beyond Earth: The Future of Space Solar Energy, Rome, Italy
- 8 May 2025The Future of Space Tech Innovations, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Invited lecture "Бъдещето на Космическите Иновации", Dept. of Astronomy, Faculty of Physics, Sofia University "St. Kl. Ohridski"
- 14 March 2025Hello Tomorrow, Paris, France
- Space session with EIC Space Portfolio companies “EIC space portfolio; innovation, markets &challenges" ION-X, Look Up Space, DCUBED and Spherical
- 26 February 2025EDA Simulation Technologies for Space Engineering workshop, Brussels, Belgium
- Invited speaker to present WP2025 Accelerator Innovative in-space servicing, operations, robotics and technologies for resilient EU space infrastructure
- 29 January 202517th European Space Conference, Brussels, Belgium
- Invited to the roundtable "Accelerating Europe’s Space Ecosystem: Perspectives from Companies and Investors"
- 4 December 2024Conference on Commercial Space Exploration, Luxembourg
- Space Accelerators: BSGN Experience and Beyond
- 20 November 2024Space Tech Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Invited speaker to the round table “ Space Debris Mitigation – The Growing Threat of Space Junk” Industry Conference panel with Astroscale, Neuraspace, Look Up Space Space
- Investors Dinner “Scaling Up: Strategic Insights into Series B, C, and D Investments” in partnership with DG DEFIs' CASSINI team
- 15 October 202475th International Astronautical Congress 2024 EU booth, Milano, Italy
- Presentation of paper "Deep-tech Space-earth synergies for future cis-lunar exploration and terrestrial applications”
- More information here
- 18 September 2024ESA Industry Space Days, "Leveraging public-public and public private collaboration to support space commercialization and financing“, Noordwijk, Netherlands
- More information here
- 27 June 2024Space Atelier, Toulouse France: Presented 2024 Pathfinder Challenge & Space Investors Event with CNES Spacely Investors Club
- 25 June 2024Les assises de Newspace, invited speaker to the panel “European Initiatives to support new entrants”, Paris, France
- 25 June 2024EU Space Forum, Session 6 ‘Greening the Space Sector - Exploring Technology and Policy Solutions, Brussels, Belgium
- More information here
- 22 May 2024Leveraging Success in International Markets, a must for European Space Companies and Investors, Vienna, Austria
- More information here
- More information here
- 18-19 April 2024International Conference on Energy from Space 2024 - London, UK
- Moderator of the session Safety & Security
- Keynote speaker
- More information and the full programme available here
- 27 March 2024Space Resource Week - Luxembourg
- Invited speaker to the Opportunities to Growth session
- See the full programme here
- 5 March 2024HSF 2024 - Cannes, France
- Keynote Speaker at Panel 10: Advances in Space Access, Infrastructure and Return-2
- More information available here
- 28 February 2025Networking Breakfast, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Invited speaker " Lessons learnt from commercialization of space technologies"
- 29 January 2024EIC Info Day in Sofia, Bulgaria
- Inspiration speech Deep tech – solving business or societal problems by companies, utilizing applied research results: view from an EIC Programme Manager
- Presentation of the EIC space related research in the context of the EIC Space Challenge and portfolio
- More information available here
- 19 January 2024Space 4 Inspiration - Noordwijk, The Netherlands
- Invited speaker for the investment opportunity session
- See the full programme here
- 8 December 2023EU-Japan Space Webinar
- The EIC PM's office organized a webinar for the EIC space portfolio to promote innovation in the space sector.
- The webinar was organized in collaboration with the EU-Japan center for industrial cooperation.
- For more information regarding the content of the event, click here
- 9 October 2023ESA International (On-line) Conference on Energy from Space
- 11 September 2023Commercial Space Days - Luzern, Switzerland
- Speaker at the (online) session Acceleration & Market dynamics
- More information available here
- 7 September 202311th IEEE International Conference on Wireless for Space and Extreme Environments
- Invited speaker Disruptive innovation opportunities for funding research for In Space Solar Energy Harvesting for innovative space applications
- More information available here
- 30 August 2023ESA MAP WHISKIES Meeting - Noordwijk, The Netherlands
- Online presentation
- 7 July 2023PVSPACE | Photovoltaic for Space - Rome, Italy
- Online presentation
- More information available here
- 27 June 2023Cassini Entrepreneurship Days, EUSPA - Prague, Czech Republic
- 16 May 2023Space Meetings Veneto 2023 - Venice, Italy
- Session on Building Cleaner Space
- More information available here
- 21 April 2023Baltic Session on the EIC Pathfinder and Transition Challenges - Riga, LV
- Organised by Deep Tech Atelier
- Presentation of EIC Pathfinder challenge on In-space solar energy harvesting for innovative space applications
- View full agenda here
- 14 April 2023Financing low-TRL breakthrough research in Space - Madrid, Spain
- Organised by the Ministry of Science & Innovation of Spain
- View full agenda here
- 23 March 2023EuCAP 2023 - 17th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation - Florence, IT
- Learn more about EuCAP 2023
- 26 January 2023EIC Space Challenge Info Day
- Presentation of EIC Accelerator Challenge on Customer-driven, innovative space technologies and services
- Watch full webinar here
- Presentation of EIC Pathfinder Challenge on In-space solar energy harvesting for innovative space applications
- Watch full webinar here
- Presentation of EIC Accelerator Challenge on Customer-driven, innovative space technologies and services
- 15 - 17 November 2022SpaceTech Expo Europe - Bremen, DE
- Interview with Stella
- Organised by Smarter Shows (Tarsus) Ltd.
- Learn more about the SpaceTech Expo
- 8 - 10 November 2022MELiSSA Conference – Toulouse, FR
- Organised by MELiSSA,European Space Agency (ESA) and Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES)
- 5 October 2022EIC Podcast series: Episode 1 - Eliminating space debris with innovative technologies
- 3 - 6 October 2022EU Space Week - Prague, CZ
- Organised by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
- 28 - 29 September 2022Industry Space Days - Noordwjik, NL
- Organised by ESA-ESTEC
- Learn more about the Industry Space Days 2022
- Power Point presentation available here
- Also available: Photos, recordings and web article about the event
- 22 - 27 September 2022EIC Challenges Workshop with Member States
- Organised by the Programme Managers' Office
- Individual reports and Power Point presentations available here
- 18 - 23 September 2022International Astronautical Congress (IAC) - Paris, FR
- Organised by Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES)
- Learn more about IAC
- 15 - 16 September 2022Space Cost Engineering - ESTEC, Noordwijk, NL
- Interview with Stella
- Organised by European Space Agency (ESA) and Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES)
- Learn more about Space Cost Engineering
- 15 - 18 June 2022VivaTech Conference - Paris, FR
- Organised by DG Defence Indusry & Space
- Learn more about VivaTech
- 14 June 2022EXPANDEO & FIRE FORUM 2022 - Round Table "Market Development Activities – future R&D" – Brussels, BE
- Organised by European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC)
- Learn more about Expandeo & Fire Forum 2022
- 1 June 2022EUSPA Entrepreneurship Day - Prague, CZ
- Organised by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
- Learn more about the Entrepreneurship Day
- 13 May 2022EIC and ESA Workshop “Challenges for Circular Economy & Sustainable Living in Space and on Earth” (online)
- Organised by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and European Space Agency (ESA)
- 27 April 2022EIC and EUSPA Workshop "EIC Opportunities for space SMEs" (online)
- Organised by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
- 28 March 2022EUSPA Workshop on FIN capacity building “Infrastructure lifecycle support from space” - Prague, CZ
- Organised by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
- Learn more about EUSPA Workshop