This Echo is READ ONLY !   NO Un-Authorized Messages Please!
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

European Space Agency

Press Release

Space technology R&D and Europe's competitiveness

16 June 2003
 
European space technology research and development will be a key
topic at the ESA Pavilion on Friday 20 June 2003, as well as how
technology harmonisation supports European industry's
competitiveness. 
 
The European Space Technology Master Plan will be addressed and the
Eureka network, a concrete example of successful pan-European
cooperation in R&D, will be presented.

The ESA Pavilion is located at its usual place in outdoor exhibition
area 61 between the life-size models of Ariane 1 and Ariane 5
launchers, just beside the Air and Space Museum.


The European Space Technology Master Plan
 
On the morning, at 10:30 am, a round table will address the European
Space Technology Master Plan (ESTMP), a successful example of
cooperation between ESA, its Member States, the EC and the European
Space Industry. For the first time, twenty technology areas have been
harmonised taking into account European technology needs, industry
capacity and funding sources. The objective is to enhance the
complementary role of the various partners and to improve the
competitiveness of European industry.

Claudie Haignere, French Minister of Research and New Technologies,
will attend. She will be welcomed by Antonio Rodota`, ESA Director
General, Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA Director for Launchers and
incoming ESA Director General, and Hans Kappler, ESA's Director of
Industrial Matters and Technology Programmes. 

Hans Kappler will hand over to Claudie Haignere the first special
edition of the ESTMP, after which she will open the round table.

The round table will be chaired by Hans Kappler, and include Luc
Tytgat, EC's head of Space Unit, Alain Gaubert, Secretary General
Eurospace, Geir Hovmork, Chairman of ESA's Industry Policy Committee
and Niels Jensen, Head of ESA's Technology Programmes Department. 


Eureka and ESA: an exemplary collaboration
 
The European-wide Eureka network of national research institutions is
an exemplary collaboration for industrial R&D which has strengthened
European competition. R&D projects from all over Europe are submitted
for approval, and one of the most important pre-conditions for
funding is that projects pool together teams and expertise from
different states. ESA's Technology Transfer Programme has cooperated
with Eureka for seven years. 

Eureka will be presented in the afternoon, at 15:45 pm in the ESA
Pavilion. Claudie Haignere, French Minister of Research and New
Technologies, and the Belgian Minister Ylieff, Minister of Scientific
Research, will attend the discussion.

Other key players include Philippe Jurgensen, Secretary General of
the Interministerial Committee Eureka and CEO of Anvar, the French
National Research Agency, Pierre Brisson, Head of ESA's Technology
Transfer Programme. Several industrial participants will also
participate.

 - END OF FILE -
==========

@Message posted automagically by IMTHINGS POST 1.30
---