The VivaTech 2026 festival prominently featured the space sector, showcasing how startups and technology giants are reshaping an industry historically controlled by government agencies. In an interview with FRANCE 24’s Business Editor Kate Moody, Atmos Space Cargo Co-founder and COO Marta Oliveira discussed reusable rockets, private-sector fundraising, and the competitive dynamics of the 21st-century space race.
Oliveira’s comments underscored a broader shift: reusable rocket technology is lowering launch costs and opening access for smaller players. Atmos Space Cargo, like many firms at the festival, is leveraging this trend to develop specialized cargo and logistics solutions for orbital missions. The company’s focus on private-sector investment reflects a growing appetite for space ventures among venture capital and corporate investors.
The festival’s emphasis on space signals a maturation of the new space economy, with startups now competing directly with established aerospace giants. Oliveira noted that international competition—particularly from the United States, Europe, and China—is accelerating innovation but also creating geopolitical tensions around technology transfer and market access.
While the commercial potential is substantial, skeptics caution that the space industry remains capital-intensive and prone to high failure rates. Many startups struggle to achieve profitability before their funding runs out, and regulatory hurdles for reusable rockets remain unresolved in several jurisdictions.
Overall, VivaTech 2026 painted a picture of a sector at an inflection point, where technological breakthroughs and private capital are driving rapid change—but where risks and uncertainties persist.