Sabrina Alam identifies a fundamental truth about modern life: the contemporary world relies on a sky that often goes unobserved. “Space is the first line of defence,” she says, “because it touches every critical infrastructure--from communications to navigation to earth observation.”
Currently Space Lead within the Technology Transfer Office at the University of Luxembourg (SnT), and founder of Matter Space & Defence since early 2026, Alam operates at the intersection of deep-tech research and strategic policy. Her interest began early. At just four years old, inspired by an uncle studying aeronautical engineering, she announced she would one day work for Nasa. That ambition would go on to shape a career spanning the European Space Agency, Nasa and SES, grounded in theoretical physics and later expanded into strategy and sustainability.
The architect of practical innovation
At SnT, Alam describes her role as “the glue” between technical research and real-world application. She works to translate academic innovation into commercial and societal use cases, helping researchers move from theory to market. In a country positioning itself as a growing space hub, that intermediary role is increasingly strategic.
This same approach underpins Matter Space & Defence, the firm she launched following the birth of her child, seeking to continue working on these topics “in a different environment.” The company advises governments, institutions and industry players on long-term strategy at the intersection of space, defence and resilience. A core focus lies in supply chains and geopolitical dependencies--understanding where resources come from, identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring industries can operate sustainably over time.
Working across policy, research and industry, Sabrina Alam focuses on long-term impact: “How do we stop space from becoming an isolated domain?” (Photo: Julian Pierrot / Paperjam)
Breaking the orbital silo
A key challenge, Alam argues, is perception. Space is still widely associated with astronauts and exploration, when in reality its applications are already embedded across multiple sectors. “How do we stop space from becoming an isolated domain,” she says, “and actually integrate it into financial services, agriculture or energy?”
With the sector expected to reach a value of one trillion dollars by 2035, this shift is essential. Space-based data already enables more informed decision-making--from assessing flood risks in insurance to monitoring crop performance in agriculture. Yet many industries still underestimate its relevance. Bridging that gap--between capability and understanding--remains central to her work.
In space, no idea is crazy.
Sovereignty and the dual-use era
The current geopolitical landscape has further accelerated this transformation. “Space by nature is a very political domain,” Alam notes. Increasingly, technologies are developed with “dual-use” capabilities, able to serve both commercial and defence purposes depending on need.
Recent conflicts have made this shift visible. Earth observation tools once used to track climate patterns have been repurposed to monitor troop movements and geopolitical developments. At a European level, this has intensified discussions around sovereignty--reducing reliance on external actors and strengthening control over critical infrastructure and supply chains.
From Luxembourg, Alam sees a unique positioning opportunity. The country’s size allows for close collaboration between institutions, industry and policymakers, creating what she describes as a more integrated and agile ecosystem. At the same time, she points to a gap in early-stage support for entrepreneurs, noting that while structures exist, “there’s a lot of support once you have a business model, but not enough at the very beginning.”
For Alam, the objective remains clear and grounded in impact: “I really want to bring space down to Earth to help solve real-world problems.” It is a vision shaped by both technical expertise and a mindset she has carried throughout her career: “In space, no idea is crazy. If you don’t ask the question, what do you have to lose?”
This article was written for the May 2026 issue of Paperjam magazine, published on 29 April. The content is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the site to contribute to Paperjam’s comprehensive archive. Click on this link to subscribe to the magazine.
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