New National Agenda for Space agenda offered to EZK

Many people think of space as exciting rocket launches and the discovery of new planets. This is all true and very interesting, but what is equally true and relevant is that space technology is an 'enabling technology' with endless possibilities for application in other sectors. Together with Jeroen Rotteveel , Rob Postma and Amal Tourabi, Esther Peters, our director, presented the National Agenda for Space to Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Stef Blok. 

Applications of space technology and data have a major impact on society. Think of navigation, telecommunication and earth observation (including climate monitoring) by means of satellites, on which we depend more every day than we realise. Applications that can have an even greater impact and solve social and economic challenges. Think of water reuse, detecting leaks in pipelines, safe autonomous transport, innovations in healthcare. 

Making space more down to earth is perhaps the greatest task for us as a space sector. We need to work together even more effectively, make connections with other sectors and increase entrepreneurship. As NL Space Campus, we are happy to contribute to this. "Connecting the curious" is not for nothing the payoff of NL Space Campus. 

Harm van de Wetering of NSO - Netherlands Space Office (space agency of the Dutch government) was also present and emphasised the importance of this agenda for the development of the Dutch space sector and its impact on other sectors.

Besides the fact that we have ESA-ESTEC in Noordwijk (2600 high tech professionals, the largest space R&D centre in Europe, 100,000 business visitors per year), the Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk and the Galileo Reference Centre (GRC) that clusters, monitors and researches all navigation data, we have a solid Dutch scientific position and unique skills and talents. 

The universities of Leiden, Delft and Erasmus (LDE universities) work closely with NL Space Campus to strengthen interdisciplinary skills and increase entrepreneurship: from knowledge to application and from research to business. With more impact! 

We must retain this position and continue to develop the ecosystem. Let us really join forces and ensure even more innovative solutions and thus also more impact on social issues. This requires a strong long-term vision from the Netherlands. Hence this National Space Agenda!

You can find the rapport here (in Dutch).