Stimulating Integration of Emerging Space Countries - Baltic States and Poland into European Space Community
- Paper number
IAC-11,E6,1,9,x9876
- Author
Mr. Madis Võõras, Enterprise Estonia, Estonia
- Coauthor
Mr. Kristo Reinsalu, Invent Baltics OÜ, Estonia
- Coauthor
Prof. Walter Peeters, International Institute of Space Commerce, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Fredrik von Scheele, SSC, Sweden
- Coauthor
Mr. Bartosz Buszke, Wasat Sp. Z.o.o., Poland
- Coauthor
Dr. Ozgur Gurtuna, Turquoise Technology Solutions Inc., Canada
- Year
2011
- Abstract
Europeans share a common passion for space. Following the accession of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (hereafter called ELLP) to the European Union in 2004, European Space Agency (ESA) eastward enlargement is an important next step for the integration of these countries into the European space community. This paper explores the process of building relevant technological capacities within ELLP to match the most urgent needs of ESA while creating desired preconditions to participate in the commercial space market and to accelerate the integration process into ESA. Since space activities have been mostly driven and supported by governments, ELLP are looking for suitable ways to shape up their space governance as well as how to promote respective public outreach activities in a coordinated way. Hereby the NordicBaltSat (NBS) (supported by EC`s FP7) project aims to create the necessary conditions for utilizing the existing and emerging potential in ELLP for continuous and sustainable contribution to European space programs. As response to different challenges ahead of ESA , creation of Joint Technology Programme (JTP) will be described as an attempt to coordinate space activities in ELLP. Based on the results of mapping space competencies across ELLP (which has captured the interest of more than 150 companies and R&D institutes), technology matrices in accordance with the ESA technology tree have been produced. This has enabled to identify not only significant concentrations of critical mass, but it has also given indications about prospective fields in the space domain for future. Based upon this analysis, main emphasis will be directed to identify specific technology gaps and common priorities that will enable to define explicit niche markets/preferred technology domains for ELLP simultaneously strengthening regional cooperation. In order to provide broad support for such endeavour, it was felt useful and necessary to document the advantages of space applications for ELLP. An example of such outreach oriented plan, as developed for this particular project will be given and illustrated. The NBS project has brought together leading national space actors from ELLP coupled with space “strongholds” like Swedish Space Corporation and International Space University. The results of this paper are valuable to policy makers, especially in emerging space countries throughout the world. It gives suggestions about best practices to facilitate local technological development via international collaboration. For countries with evolving space programs, the paper provides a new lens through which to focus the process of technological capacity building.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-11,E6,1,9,x9876.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.