Opportunities available for R&D and technology demonstration

Weightlessness provides unique conditions for scientific, application-oriented and industrial research. On Earth, if a substance is heated, melted, solidified, crystallised, mixed, sprayed or burnt, then gravity has a strong influence over what will happen. Studying those processes in the absence of gravity allows uncovering the fundamental effects at work.

With the deployment of the European space laboratory Columbus on the International Space Station (ISS) in February 2008, the research capacity of the ISS was nearly doubled and a new era has begun for ESA’s activities onboard. The facilities and resources available on Columbus not only allow scientists to carry out their research, but also offer companies the opportunity for their research and development as well as for testing innovative technologies.

In order to inform companies about the opportunities which are available on the ISS and on Columbus for R&D and technology demonstration, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in cooperation with the Max Planck Institut für Eisenforschung (MPIE) will hold the workshop: “Industry Forum for Material Research and Microgravity”.

Experts will illustrate the relevance for application oriented material research

Experts from ESA, DLR, the MPIE, industry and research institutions will illustrate the relevance of microgravity for application oriented material research, the existing opportunities and the kind of support which is available to industry interested in performing experiments under microgravity.

The workshop will take place on: Thursday, 8 May 2008, from 10.00 to 16.15 hours, at the Max Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany.

The workshop language is German. The participation is free of charge. Since the number of participants is limited, registrations will be accepted on the basis of ‘first come first serve’. For registering, please contact the address below before 25 April 2008.

SPRINT Initiative
Project Office
Rüngsdorfer Str. 17
53173 Bonn, Germany

Phone: +49 - (0)228 - 36886-0
Fax: +49 - (0)228 - 36886-66
Email: info@kbp-bonn.de