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Lieutenant Colonel Eric Wiesmann

Job Title

Deputy Commander

Organization

Swiss Space Command

Eric Wiesmann is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Swiss Armed Forces and serves as Deputy Commander of the Swiss Space Command, contributing to the strategic and operational development of Switzerland’s sovereign and federated space capabilities. His responsibilities cover capability development, system architecture, strategic programmes and partnerships, and the medium- and long-term planning of dual-use space capabilities. His work focuses on translating political, strategic and operational requirements into executable architectures, programmes and multinational cooperation frameworks. A particular emphasis lies on integrating national, multinational and commercial assets into resilient and interoperable capability structures while preserving national sovereignty, operational control and freedom of decision. He currently chairs the ALPSTAR Governance Board within the ESA ERS framework, supporting the development of a federated European capability approach involving governmental and defence stakeholders. Before moving into his current defence responsibilities, Eric Wiesmann spent almost two and a half decades in senior executive and leadership positions at Beyond Gravity, formerly RUAG Space, one of Europe’s major space equipment and subsystem suppliers. His responsibilities included international business development, strategic growth and major institutional and governmental programmes across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. Throughout his industrial career, he contributed to numerous ESA programmes and missions, supported activities related to NASA exploration and human spaceflight programmes, and was involved in classified programmes. His military service has also included operational experience and classified missions within the Swiss Armed Forces. His experience across armed forces, government and industry gives him a practical perspective on the full capability lifecycle, from strategic intent and operational requirements through architecture and programme development to international cooperation and industrial delivery and usage. He holds a master degree in electrical engineering with a focus on electronics and a second in control systems, an MBA in Strategic Management and a Master in Law specialising in business law and economic crime. His work today sits at the intersection of military operations, space systems, capability development, international cooperation and industrial implementation.