How National Space Activities May Be Integrated Into The Economic Mainstream

Abstract

The paper considers fields of space business that expand and therefore are of importance for the national economy. for these fields, national space agencies must foster both the necessary technologies as well as complementary capabilities. to this end, new forms of private-public partnership will be necessary. the expected benefits for the national economy will then depend on how we succeed in shaping this specific partnership. for more than 30 years European governments have jointly pursued common space programmes. These have helped in developing a vast spectrum of competence with particular emphasis on space science and space related technologies. But so far they have not resulted in the deployment of an independent and basically competitive industry in Europe sustaining itself on the commercial success on free markets. European governments have repeatedly expressed a strong commitment to the International Space Station. Now they are aware of the many economic prospects emerging from the free consumer markets and the resulting demands for new space related goods and services. the forecasted demand pull, in particular, offers new opportunities for the economy. Moreover it may also have an impact on the role of space for European defence and security issues; in advanced aerial and ground transportation opportunities through space-borne navigation or positioning; in weather forecasting; in international policy formulation for the protection the natural environment and agriculture; finally, in the progress of basic knowledge, which includes the support of fundamental science as well as for scientific training and education. Consequently, DARA and its partners are forced to develop clear views on such issues as:

• • the products and end-toend services from Europe that will underpin and permanently sustain Europe’s industrial competence in space;

• • Economies of scale and resulting opportunities for European industries on the global stage;

• • the commercial fields where European industry has proven the potential to provide high performance space components and systems, in adequate numbers and at a globally affordable price;

• • the intra-European competitiveness in the space business and the necessity to redress the European “juste retour” mechanism to an appropriate level;

• • the principle of reciprocity when accessing the expanding markets in Asia and the US; and

• • the availability and importance of risk and venture capital for enabling innovative space-borne services of the future.