More than 350 people from across Europe’s space and defence sectors met in Brussels in May to discuss how diversity and inclusion should be built into core strategy, governance and investment decisions.
The DIVERIS Annual Meeting 2026 took place on 7 May during EU Diversity Month and was held as a hybrid event, the European Commission reported on Wednesday.
It drew 352 participants from 23 EU member states and involved more than 125 organisations, including industry, space agencies, research bodies, government, universities and civil society.
The meeting featured four panel discussions, three keynote speeches and a “Marketplace of Ideas” presenting 12 diversity and inclusion initiatives. More than 20 organisations contributed as speakers.
Discussions included calls to focus on decision-making power rather than representation alone, and to measure the impact of inclusion efforts rather than only tracking activity.
Participants also described “intersectionality” — the way different aspects of identity can overlap, such as gender and ethnicity — as a governance issue rather than an optional add-on to gender policies.
Report published after Brussels meeting
A report from the meeting has been published by the DIVERIS Secretariat, setting out findings and recommendations, the Commission noted.
Lorena Boix Alonso, Deputy Director General for Defence Industry and Space, was quoted as saying: “Diversity is not charity. It is smart economics.”
The network also invited governments, industry, EU agencies, companies, universities, non-profit organisations and individuals to take part, including as “facilitators” or “trailblazers.”
The next DIVERIS Lab is scheduled to take place online on 25 June, where the meeting report will be presented.
