As Secretary General of the European network NEREUS (Network of European Regions Using Space Technologies), Roya heads its Brussels-based office as the association’s key interface at the European level. In her current role, she has followed major EU space legislative and policy developments impacting regions and their stakeholders over the past 15 years and has established the network as a reference for excellence in regional space ecosystems. Through the coordination of political dialogue and advocacy with the European Commission and the European Space Agency, and interregional cooperation/partnerships at an EU scale, Roya has gained a broad overview of the needs and concerns at the regional and local levels, as well as practical insight into the strategic approaches, capabilities and specificities of regions that are developing their space-related assets.
Managing flagship initiatives such as Copernicus4Regions and through her experience of being assigned to advisory committees of EU- and ESA-funded cooperation initiatives, Roya has acquired extensive knowledge of the deployment situation of space-based services across Europe, as well as expertise on the challenges and opportunities involved in developing regional ecosystems.
Being trained as a German lawyer, Roya Ayazi has held positions for more than 25 years in European/Governmental Affairs in public administration and associations of civil society related to Science, Research/Innovation.
