Luxembourg Ministers, Space Companies Undertake Economic Mission to Spain

Luxembourg’s Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, Minister of Health and Social Security, Martine Deprez, and Minister of Digitalisation and Minister of Research and Higher Education, Stéphanie Obertin, participated in an official economic mission to Spain, focusing on digital health technologies, digital technology (supercomputing, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies) and the space sector from Sunday 4 to Wednesday 7 May 2025. 

In a press release, the respective ministries stated that the economic mission began with a series of official meetings. Minister Delles and Minister Obertin met with Óscar López, Spain’s Minister of Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, to identify synergies and strengthen bilateral collaboration. Discussions focused on strategic issues such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) applied to the public sector, cooperation between AI Factories, quantum advances, as well as the implementation of the Data Governance Act and the reuse of public data, with a sharing of expertise between the Spanish and Luxembourg approaches.

Furthermore, Minister Deprez met with the Spanish Minister of Health, Mónica García Gómez, and with the Secretary General for Digital Health, Information and Innovation, Juan Fernando Muñoz Montalvo, at the Spanish Ministry of Health. Discussions focused on the digital transformation of healthcare systems in the context of the upcoming implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation. Minister Deprez presented the main points of Luxembourg's recently adopted healthcare digitalisation strategy and highlighted the challenges associated with compliance with this regulation, particularly with regard to the development of the Shared Health Record (DSP) and national health data governance. As Spain has made significant progress in the digitalisation of its healthcare system, according to the Luxembourg ministries, the exchange of best practices proved invaluable in continuing to strengthen the development of patient-centred digital healthcare services, the interoperability of health information and the analysis of health-related data.

Minister Deprez also met with Elma Saiz Delgado, Spanish Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss common European issues related to the European coordination of social security systems, as well as the issue of withdrawing the proposed directive on equal treatment in social security.

The ministries added that following his meeting with Minister López, Minister Delles visited the strategic Airbus Defence and Space site in Getafé, south of Madrid. This visit demonstrated Luxembourg's interest in strengthening European industrial and technological cooperation in the space sector with Spain, the fifth-largest contributor to the European Space Agency (ESA). The site, one of the largest satellite integration centres in Europe, plays a key role in the development of programmes such as Copernicus and Galileo. It reportedly illustrates Spain's essential contribution to Europe's strategic autonomy in space, an issue described as being at the heart of political priorities shared by Luxembourg. 

In parallel with the Airbus visit, Minister Obertin visited the IdiPAZ Institute at La Paz University Hospital. IdiPAZ is a health research institute based on a collaboration between several universities and hospitals in Madrid, aiming to foster collaboration between researchers, as well as increasing synergies and the efficient use of available infrastructure. The visit aimed to draw inspiration from this collaborative approach and to discuss the institute's research areas.

A delegation of Luxembourg space companies, led by the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), was also present in Madrid to strengthen synergies. Beyond the visit to Airbus Defence and Space, the space delegation, composed of sixteen participants, also visited GMV, Europe's sixth-largest industrial player, and Thales Alenia Space, a company specialising in telecommunications, Earth observation and scientific missions, to identify new opportunities for cooperation in key areas such as Earth observation, telecommunications and satellite infrastructure.

The ministers then travelled by train from Madrid to Barcelona, for the second day of the mission, beginning with the Luxembourg-Spain Economic Forum, attended by nearly 130 people, at the Chamber of Commerce at the World Trade Center in Barcelona.

Second leg:

According to the press release, the second leg of the mission, on Tuesday 6 May 2025, was organised by the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with ACCIÓ (Catalonia Trade & Investment) and with the support of the Luxembourg Embassy in Spain and the Hispano-Luxembourg Economic Forum (FEHL). The forum aimed to strengthen economic relations between Luxembourg and Catalonia by bringing together Spanish and Luxembourg experts. After a joint academic session, officially opened by Minister Delles and Francesc Trillas Jané, Secretary of Economy and Finance in the Catalan Government, the participants were divided into three parallel workshops, featuring Luxembourg’s Ministers Deprez and Obertin. 

The focus of the workshops was on three strategic sectors of common interest with Spain: artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC) and ICT; digital health technologies; space.

Minister Delles then visited the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) Data Living Lab. NTT is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. NTT Data Living Lab is an innovation space dedicated to digital transformation through collaboration and technological research. The visit was part of a series of exchanges initiated since 2024 to strengthen ties between Luxembourg and the Japanese group NTT. The discussions explored avenues of collaboration, particularly in the areas of AI, data spaces and open innovation, notably in the digital health sector.

Moreover, Ministers Deprez and Obertin visited Sant Joan de Deú Hospital, a paediatric hospital pioneering digital innovation. As a result of the Cortex project, a space based on the intelligent management of information generated in the hospital, the hospital was able to establish a predictive model enabling decision-making based on the collected data. The visit was part of the adoption of digital health technologies in Luxembourg and aimed to identify synergies between the two digital health ecosystems.

The three Luxembourg ministers then visited the Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (CNS - Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, BSC), Spain's national centre for high-performance computing. The purpose of this visit was to discover the MareNostrum advanced computing infrastructure, described as being  the most powerful supercomputer in Spain and to discuss several themes of common interest with BSC representatives.

The ministries noted that discussions focused on AI Factories, while both Luxembourg and Barcelona were selected by EuroHPC to host an AI Factory. Although their approaches are different - one more research-orientated (BSC), the other more focused on business needs (Luxembourg) -  their areas of expertise are complementary, particularly in the health, space, finance and green technology sectors. The two parties also discussed potential synergies in quantum computing, given that Spain and Luxembourg both operate (or will operate) quantum computers, although these are based on distinct technologies. The ministers also learned about the MIT-inspired "BSC Connects" programme, which promotes public-private collaborations, as well as Luxembourg's concrete actions in this area, such as calls for thematic projects and support mechanisms for the creation of spin-offs.

Tuesday’s agenda concluded with a networking reception hosted by the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and the Luxembourg Embassy in Madrid, attended by the trade delegation and Spanish stakeholders interested in Luxembourg.

On Wednesday 7 May 2025, Ministers Delles and Obertin visited the Institute for Photonic Sciences (ICFO) and its spin-off, LuxQuanta in Barcelona, accompanied by the economic delegation from the Chamber of Commerce. This visit aimed to strengthen cooperation with these two players in quantum technologies in Europe, particularly in the fields of quantum cybersecurity and quantum key distribution (QKD). 

At the same time, the space delegation visited the ESA BIC (European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre) in Barcelona. This incubation centre, established in 2014 as the first ESA BIC in Spain, plays a role in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the space sector. The delegation interacted with local startups developing advanced technologies in the fields of Earth observation, satellite components and thrusters. The economic mission was jointly organised by the three ministries with the support of Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, the Luxembourg Embassy in Madrid, the Consulate in Barcelona, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and LSA. The ministers were accompanied by a delegation of 85 representatives from 36 Luxembourg companies and eighteen public organisations, particularly active in the health technology, space, as well as information and communication technology sectors.

At the end of the visit, Minister Delles stated: "Thanks to an intensive programme of visits and interviews, this economic mission to Spain has enabled us to strengthen ties between our two innovation ecosystems and identify several concrete avenues for collaboration, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and space technologies. Together, we can build a digital and innovative future for our two nations."

Minister Deprez added: "This mission to Spain offered Luxembourg the opportunity to discover innovative solutions in the field of digital health. Initiatives such as those implemented at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre provide a concrete example of how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and secure health data sharing, can transform the efficiency of care while placing the patient at the centre of their care pathway. These exchanges reinforce Luxembourg's commitment to developing an advanced digital health system, aimed at ensuring optimal and personalised care for all our citizens."

Minister Obertin said: "Luxembourg and Spain share the ambition to make advanced digital infrastructures linked to research and innovation the drivers of sustainable and inclusive economic growth. In this sense, this mission was an excellent opportunity to discuss our synergies and complementarities, learn from each other and build bridges - between Luxembourg and Spain, between researchers and entrepreneurs, between emerging technologies and their impact on the real world."