The federal government is increasing its investment in the European Space Agency (ESA) programs to $528.5 million, Industry Minister Melanie Joly announced today at the SpaceBound 2025 conference in Ottawa.

Joly said the new investment will create new opportunities for Canada’s space industry and help the country build a competitive industrial base in space technologies.

The funding will be used for research and development (R&D) of Canadian-made technologies, according to an official statement.

The investment is 10 times more than Canada’s previous contributions to the ESA programs, the news release said.

Canada is the only non-European member of the agency; A collaboration that dates back to 1979.

This report was first published on November 18, 2025 by The Canadian Press.