The Dutch Technology Transfer Program
- Paper number
IAC-06-E5.2.06
- Author
Mr. Len Van der Wal, TNO Science and Industry, The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Mrs. Heleen de Brabander, The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Mr. Pierre Brisson, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands
- Year
2006
- Abstract
Introduction
This paper will present the aim, the approach and the results of the ‘Dutch Technology Transfer Program’ (DTTP). The DTTP is an initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) and the European Space Agency (ESA) and started officially in May 2001. The DTTP aims specifically at the transfer of European space technology to other, non-space industry sectors in the Netherlands. The management of the DTTP has been performed by the Netherlands Organisation of Applied Scientific Research TNO.
Background
The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs is strongly devoted to ensuring sustainable economical growth in the Netherlands. The Ministry is not only focused on today’s market, but also on the market of tomorrow. This is the reason why it is striving to stimulate innovation in all sectors of the economy. The Ministry of Economic Affairs perceives the knowledge that is made accessible via space technology as strategically important for a competitive, knowledge-based economy. Full and easy access to this knowledge will allow many Dutch companies and institutions – especially those outside the space sector - to innovate and thereby strengthen their competitive powers. The approach taken in the DTTP is characterised by a strong sense of market, based on themes (comparable problem definition or functionality) that are likely to receive serious interest from different sectors of the Dutch business community. In order to define these themes optimal use has been made of the client network that the TNO organisation has in many of these sectors. A second important feature of the DTTP is the possibility to (partly) finance so-called feasibility studies; studies that demonstrate the technical and/or commercial feasibility of a potential technology transfer.
Results
The first phase of the DTTP covered a period of ca. 3.5 years and has been quite successful. The programme has launched around 35 ideas for potential technology transfer during this period, resulting in the actual start of 17 feasibility studies that cover a wide area of different applications. In addition four large implementation projects have been started within the DTTP as well. These numbers correspond very well with the original objectives of the programme. Given these positive results, by the end of 2004 all stakeholders declared to be in favour of a continuation of the DTTP, in the form of a second phase. The objectives of this second phase have been adapted to the experiences gained in the first phase of the DTTP and extended on several aspects. The second phase will for instance also contain some ’technology push’ activities and strongly support new business development, a.o. through a close cooperation with the European Space Incubator at ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk. Finally, we have been able to attract several new stakeholders in the second phase, a.o. two scientific space institutions and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. These new participants will further improve the reputation of the DTTP and undoubtedly increase the volume of ‘Space Technology Transfer’ in the Netherlands.
This paper will address the following aspects of the DTTP in more detail:
- Balance between ‘market pull’ and ‘technology push’
- Selecting favourable technology areas
- Developing successful evaluation methods
- Obtaining concrete successes
Political support
Knowledge Transfer has been designated as one of the general focal points in the Netherlands Space Action Plan that was officially launched in November 2004:
“Space activities offer many excellent opportunities in the areas of knowledge transfer, valorisation, spin-offs and education. It is important to exploit the added value generated by space activities as effectively as possible and to stimulate this more than in the past.”
In the near future this should lead to the creation of a National Technology Transfer Programme (NTOP) aimed at the transfer and use of knowledge and technology obtained from space investments, including communication, education and conducting feasibility studies. Within the Action Plan, the DTTP is designated as the most suitable basis for the future NTOP.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-E5.2.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.