In response to the wide range of requests and to foster the most effective and beneficial cooperation between the Cluster’s members and overseas ecosystems, Aerospace Valley has developed new initiatives to promote our ecosystem internationally: hosting overseas delegations, networking and matchmaking events with overseas ecosystems, ‘learning expeditions’ and study visits. These initiatives provide an opportunity for our members to showcase their businesses through company pitches and site visits, to develop relationships with high-level contacts through targeted B2B meetings, and to gain a better understanding of business ecosystems and opportunities in other countries.

In 2025, Aerospace Valley was approached by 25 partners (clusters, embassy representatives and companies) to organise eight events, which brought together 103 foreign organisations, 117 Cluster members, over 600 participants and a total of 500 B2B meetings – evidence of the significant interest our members have in international cooperation initiatives.

To illustrate these initiatives, here are a few notable highlights:

•     The ‘Swiss Aerospace Business Delegation’ event, which brought together more than 44 Cluster member companies and 40 Swiss representatives. This delegation was organised by Aerospace Valley on behalf of Swiss Business Hub France, Switzerland Global Enterprise and the Swiss Embassy in France, as part of an initiative to explore the innovation and industrial ecosystems of south-western France. The B2B meetings were particularly fruitful and dynamic, generating over 135 meetings between stakeholders in the aerospace sector. These discussions helped to forge and strengthen links between the various stakeholders around key themes such as advanced materials, innovative processes and Research & Technology.
•     The networking event with the Irish space ecosystem: over 29 member companies of the Cluster and 22 Irish representatives were welcomed. This delegation, organised by Aerospace Valley on behalf of Enterprise Ireland France, in partnership with Expertise France and with the support of Toulouse Team Invest, forms part of an initiative aimed at discovering and strengthening innovation ecosystems in the space sector in south-western France. The event combined presentation sessions providing a comprehensive overview of the Irish and French space ecosystems and their strategic challenges, pitches by Irish companies highlighting their innovation capabilities and industrial strengths, and finally opportunities for collaboration at European level.
•     A study visit to five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, as part of the ‘Team Europe Initiative on Digital Connectivity in Central Asia – Soft Pillar’, led by Expertise France under the auspices of the EU’s Global Gateway programme. This study visit aimed to promote the use of satellite technologies, in particular IoT sensors and geospatial data applications, in order to foster local digital innovation and address key regional challenges such as climate change adaptation, urban planning, natural resource management and economic inclusion. The delegation, comprising 13 senior officials from the Central Asian space sector, also explored opportunities for collaboration and partnership with the French and European aerospace community.
•     The ‘Denmark-France Space’ event, held at B612, saw Aerospace Valley, Dansk Industri and the Royal Danish Embassy welcome over 80 participants representing the Danish and French space ecosystems. During the event, presentations on the space sector were given by Aerospace Valley, Toulouse Invest, DI – Dansk Industri, the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) and CNES to provide a better understanding of cutting-edge space technologies and innovations in both countries. There was a particular focus on defence and security issues, notably featuring contributions from the Space Command and the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation. The event concluded with a half-day of B2B meetings.

In terms of cooperation with overseas ecosystems, Aerospace Valley signed a letter of intent at SIAE 2025 with the Indian state of Telangana as part of a strategic partnership between the two territories: Bordeaux Métropole and the city of Hyderabad. This initiative forms part of a shared commitment to strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the areas of innovation and regional development.

The city of Hyderabad wishes to draw inspiration from the Cluster’s model to establish a similar organisation within its metropolitan area, tailored to its own specific challenges.

Supporting our members’ export development also involves providing technical or regulatory information. It is within this framework that Aerospace Valley, with the support of Airbus Protect, organised a workshop on export controls, focusing on understanding the differences between Military Equipment (ML) and Dual-Use Goods (BDU), understanding US (EAR/ITAR) and Chinese regulations, and, finally, developing the right instincts to identify ‘red flags’ in a suspicious client in order to avoid sanctions. This event provided an opportunity to meet and exchange views with export control specialists from government departments, industry and economic intelligence (DGA, ANSSI, Customs, Airbus Protect). The workshop brought together more than 30 companies from the Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions.

OUTLOOK

Aerospace Valley has already finalised arrangements for visits by delegations from Catalonia and Armenia. Visits from other ecosystems are under discussion. Aerospace Valley continues to develop its programme for hosting foreign ecosystems to best meet the expectations of its members.

The coming financial year will be largely shaped by the SIAE in 2027, which is a key event for exchanges and synergies with foreign delegations. The Aerospace Valley Cluster intends to play a leading role in facilitating networking opportunities.