The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, visited ESA ESTEC in Noordwijk. During the visit, he was shown several key facilities, including the advanced test centre, the large diameter centrifuge, the Erasmus Highbay and the plans for the new Hertz 2.0 antenna testing facility. These facilities illustrate the technical capabilities based in Noordwijk and the role they play in European space missions. This visit once again brought attention to European cooperation in space and to the Netherlands’ role as host of Europe’s largest space technology centre for ESA. Thank you to ESA ESTEC for organising and hosting the visit.
Next to the prime minister, the mayor and alderman of Leiden visited NL Space Campus and ESA ESTEC, and the director of Key Region Leiden. The Dutch space sector, centred in Noordwijk, is poised for growth, and Leiden aims to play an active and strategic role in supporting this development. The Long-Term Space Strategy (LTR)—initiated through a motion by MP Pim van Strien and strengthened by sustained lobbying efforts in which former Leiden Mayor Henri Lenferink was instrumental—provides a crucial framework for this ambition.
Despite this, the sector has many unused opportunities for collaboration with companies, research institutions, and independent professionals. Renewed leadership and lobbying from Leiden’s administration—supported by political partners, Key Region Leiden and key advocates such as Leiden Mayor Peter Heijkoop and Alderman Wietske Veldman—can help bridge these divides and foster a more integrated ecosystem.
Welcomed at ESA ESTEC by Dietmar Pilz, and at the Space Business Innovation Centre (SBIC), ZemQuest and Solidflow presented their initiatives beyond ESA frameworks and outlined what is needed to strengthen the sector over the next years. The discussion reinforces a sense of shared mission and ambition within the ecosystem. The discussion was led by multiple industry partners.
As the foundation NL Space Campus, we are excited to keep strengthening local, regional and national connections to support the space ecosystem in the Netherlands.
