The Monaco Government will hold the third edition of the Ocean Space Forum at the Auditorium Rainier III on 2nd July, bringing together space agencies, international organisations, scientists and private sector representatives to explore how satellite technology can be used to monitor and protect the world’s oceans.
Organised in partnership with the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and Prométhée Earth Intelligence, the event takes place under the patronage of Prince Albert II and is coordinated within the government by the Bureau of Space Affairs — the body established by sovereign ordinance in 2021 to oversee Monaco’s involvement in the international space sector.
Space technology in service of the ocean
The forum’s programme is built around three themes: the climate crisis and its consequences for the ocean, the enforcement of maritime law and ocean governance, and emerging technological opportunities in the space and ocean sectors. Sessions will take place in English, in the form of plenary conferences and roundtable discussions, and will be complemented by a networking area, a space industry exhibition zone, and an exhibition organised with the Prince Albert II Foundation, the Mairie de Monaco and the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur.
The 2026 edition is framed within the Space4Ocean alliance, an international initiative launched at the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025, of which Monaco is a founding member. The alliance aims to mobilise space-based capabilities for ocean conservation through cooperation between public institutions, international organisations and the scientific community.
International participation
The forum draws participation from a broad range of institutions. United Nations bodies confirmed to attend include the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the World Meteorological Organisation.
Space agencies from several continents will be represented, including the European Space Agency, CNES, the Italian Space Agency, the Maldives Space Research Organisation and the Senegalese Space Studies Agency. Scientific and academic participants include the Institut de la Paix et du Développement at Université Côte d’Azur and the Université de Bretagne Occidentale, alongside private companies including Prométhée Earth Intelligence, Orbital EOS, Telespazio and ACRI-ST.
The Ocean Space Forum takes place on Thursday 2nd July from 8:30am to 6:30pm at the Auditorium Rainier III, boulevard Louis II, Monaco. Admission is free and open to all, with registration required.
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Photo credit: Talia Cohen, Unsplash