Space technology to strengthen Austrian industry

More than 260 space technologies have spurred applications in European non-space sectors through ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office since it opened for business in the 1990s.

On average, each year 17 new transfers are added and around 50 start-up companies are benefitting from ESA’s Business Incubation Centres.

Spin-offs from ESA’s technologies are promoted and supported through ESA’s network of technology brokers and national technology transfer initiatives. The dedicated national Austrian Technology Transfer Programme (ATTP) initiative began in June.

“With ATTP we want to strengthen the opportunities for Austrian industry, including high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises to benefit from the innovation potential from transfers of existing space technology,” said Harald Posch, Head of the Aeronautics and Space Agency at Austria’s National Research Promotion Agency (Agentur fűr Luft- und Raumfahrt/Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft – ALR/FFG).

“Through the use of innovative and leading-edge technological solutions developed for the European space programmes, the programme shall reinforce the competitiveness of the Austrian business and investment communities.”

Brimatech Services, a small- and medium-sized enterprise in Vienna, is the ATTP mediator between space industry and research and non-space industry, with the explicit goal of facilitating the transfer of space technologies into non-space sectors.

“The promotion of space technologies and their applications in different contexts is an important part of the Austrian Technology Transfer Programme,” explained Dr Susanne Fuchs, Managing Partner at Brimatech.

“Through our long-lasting activities in the space sector we have very good contacts with companies and research institutions in this area as well as relevant public agencies.”

Through several European and Austrian research projects, transfer of technologies could be beneficial to a number of different industrial fields besides the obvious space and aeronautics industry, such as areas involving nanotechnology, embedded systems, electronics, automotive, propulsion systems and textiles.

“Being involved in many different branches of high-tech industry as well as space technology, in combination with our experience and methodological focus, will be a significant contribution to both technology transfer activities and the subsequent strengthening of the competitiveness of the Austrian industry as a whole,” emphasised Andrea Kurz, Managing Partner at Brimatech.

National Technology Transfer Initiatives (NTTI)

ESA's TTPO supports technology transfer initiatives in certain ESA Member States through NTTI.

National initiatives focus on their respective countries and facilitate transfers by matching requests for specialised technologies from the national non-space sector with technology descriptions provided by the national space industry. The NTTI also addresses the need for funding and other support and may involve local companies to provide this.

ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO)

The TTPO’s main mission is to facilitate the use of space technology and space systems for non-space applications and to demonstrate the benefit of the European space programme to European citizens.

The office is responsible for defining the overall approach and strategy for the transfer of space technologies, including the incubation of start-up companies and their funding. For more information, please contact:

ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office
European Space Agency
Keplerlaan 1
2200 AG, Noordwijk
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 71 565 6208
Email: ttp@esa.int