ESA calls for EU research co-operation

Jean-Jacques Dordain, the director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), has said that collaboration between the agency and the European Commission is crucial to the progress of space research in Europe.

Speaking about the role space will play in Horizon 2020, Dordain said it was crucial for research initiatives undertaken by the organisations not to be in conflict with each other.

“The most important aspect of space in the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme is to ensure that the relevant EU and ESA work programmes are complementary, not only in space science but in technology, Earth science, International Space Station exploitation and applications development,” the director general said.

“It is essential to ensure that the management of the programmes is co-ordinated effectively and that the different tools available to ESA and the EU are used appropriately, taking account of some of the unique features of the space sector.”

Space will receive funding under the Industrial Leadership pillar of Horizon 2020. Under current budgetary proposals, the sector will receive €1.5bn of finance for new research projects.

Dordain added that previous collaborative approaches between ESA and the Commission provided good scope for future co-operation.

“ESA is in detailed discussions with the Commission on all of these different programme areas to make certain that between us we maximise the scientific and innovation benefits for the member states and for the industrial and scientific communities.

“This is a challenge, as the two systems have some significant differences. However, we have already shown with Galileo and Copernicus that there is greater flexibility than may at first appear to be the case, in both the ESA and the EU financial regulations,” Dordain concluded.