Industry Space Days at ESTEC

The ESA Industry Space Days (ISD), organized at European level, consist of a programme of prearranged individual Rendez-Vous between Small and Medium-sized Enterprises(SMEs), of larger Industrial Space Groups.

The main purpose of the ISD is to facilitate the access of innovative technologies to space R&D help the European space industries to enhance their competitiveness by the use of High Tech skills and competence.

ISD Objectives

One of the purposes of the ESA SME Initiative is to further open the space R&D to innovative technologies and help the European space industries to enhance their competitiveness by the use of SMEs’ skills and competence gained in fields of high technology.
In pursuance of the above, one of the measures foreseen is the organisation by ESA of encounters at European level, between SMEs and their potential customers, i.e. the main space companies.

ISD Advantages

• An efficient access to new contacts : a small company has little opportunity to make new contacts. ISD will guarantee this to SMEs, will allow them to present their skills and products to others, and give them the opportunities to build new business partnerships.
• A time-saving tool: from companies’ experience, in terms of contacts, the 2 days can represent the equivalent of four years of effort. A company can make hundreds of contacts, have opportunity for initiating ventures, co-operation, or sale/purchase of their products.
• An efficient Communication tool: the concept of multi prearranged rendez vous is new, modern, and fulfils the needs of all companies.
• Technology and R&D Agora: In addition to meeting new manufacturing partners, the companies will have the chance to contact most of the R&D and high technology representatives.
• Agora for Innovative Technologies: due to the quality of the participants (only High Tech SMEs and major Space Groups), ISD represent the best place to meet innovative technologies.
• Market for Technologies, Skills and Products: the number of contacts which will be made possible will guarantee to the participants the possibility to present and advertise their special skills and technologies.

ISD Organisation Method

The Industry Space Days (ISD) will be organised by ESA with the technical support of French Organisation of high technology SMEs (Comité Richelieu), itself member of an SME Europe Federation.

The ISD consist in the organisation of multi individual Rendez-vous between SMEs and large Groups, around selected technologies, according to the following method:

• Definition of Subjects of Interest: A technical Committee nominated by ESA, reviewed the technology fields of interest to the European Space Industry, and proposed a list of subjects from which the participating companies can choose.
• Presentation of Expertise: On the basis of the proposed subjects, SMEs forward a written presentation detailing their field of expertise, their specialities, their strengths and their competitive edges.
• Selection of SMEs: the ESA technical Committee will review the registered SMEs and pre-select the ones having good capacities. The pre-selected SMES will be than forwarded to the Large Groups interested in their specialities, who will select the SMEs they wish to meet.
• Time Table of Rendez-vous : The SMEs will receive the names of the Large Groups interested in meeting them. If they agree to meet them, a meeting will be scheduled. About 2 weeks prior to the ISD, the companies will receive a detailed time table for their appointments.
• Individual Rendez-vous : During the ISD, the individual meetings between SMEs and Large Groups are held in a strictly confidential environment.
• Agora for Informal Meetings: A more open space will be made available to allow different non planned and informal meetings such as SME/SME meetings etc.