UNIVERSEH is pleased to announce Raphaël Diot as one of the two winners of the 2025 edition of The European Space Policy Institute – ESPI’s annual Essay Competition for students and young professionals.
In July 2025, participants were invited to submit essays in the form of policy briefs related to the theme of ESPI’s 19th Autumn Conference: “Europe as a space power.”
Raphaël Diot, a master’s student in Housing and Ecological Transition Policies at the University of Toulouse – Jean Jaurès and vice-president of the Toulouse student team at UNIVERSEH, won one of the prizes for his engaging essay titled “Orbital Sovereignty: for Industrial and Strategic Autonomy for European Space Supply Chains.”
Raphaël had the privilege of being invited to attend the 19th ESPI Autumn Conference last October, where he received his award at Vienna City Hall by Hermann Ludwig Moeller, Director of the European Space Policy Institute and shared a few words during the ceremony.
The ceremony brought together more than 300 participants from over 60 countries, opening up new perspectives for Europe’s space ambitions and strengthening its role as a trusted global partner.
The winning essays are available to read here.
The two winners, Alexandra Ba-Tin and Raphaël Diot were also interviewed by Orbital Today, a space‑focused online news website, where they shared their inspiring thoughts on their subjects and personal journeys. Read the full interview here: Orbital Today ESPI Essay Winners Interview.
The UNIVERSEH team is delighted for Raphaël and extends its warmest congratulations.
For more information about the Essay Competition: ESPI Essay Competition 2025: Winners Announced – ESPI
And the Autumn Conference: Europe as a Space Power: Highlights from the 19th ESPI Autumn Conference – ESPI
