Minister for Space Hon Judith Collins underlined that New Zealand’s space and advanced aviation sectors are “no longer emerging, they’re here and accelerating”. She noted that the sectors are expanding beyond rockets and satellites into AI, autonomy, advanced manufacturing and earth monitoring. The Government aims to double the sectors’ value by 2030, supported by a new regulatory sandbox for safe testing and recent legislation designed to ensure a secure and future-ready space environment. With sector revenues rising sharply and a world-leading regulatory framework under development, the country is positioning itself at the forefront of sustainable, high-tech aerospace innovation.

The Dutch-Kiwi connection was also visible through Dawn Aerospace, which operates from both the Netherlands and New Zealand and develops green-propulsion systems for various classes of satellites and reusable spaceplanes.

Building on this momentum, we look forward to exploring new opportunities for cooperation between New Zealand, the Netherlands and the EU, with a focus on sustainability, reusability, and smart regulation in aerospace and advanced aviation.