The European Commission is joining forces with the European Space Agency to address global challenges with innovative technologies.
Timo Pesonen, director-general for defense industry and space, for the EC and Josef Aschbacher, director general of the ESA, signed a collaboration agreement to combine resources and competence to enhance the European capacity to protect critical infrastructure, mitigate climate change and improve crisis response.
“With this collaboration arrangement we commit to reinforce our cooperation in the development, demonstration and integration of space-enabled technological solutions responding to major environmental and societal challenge,” Personen said.
“ESA’s technical expertise perfectly complements the European Commission’s political mandate in developing flagship space programs that address the needs of European citizens and businesses,” added Aschbacher.
The organizations will cooperate on three focus areas: Space for a Green Future, Rapid and Resilient Crisis Response, and Protection of Space Assets.
This is not the first time that the EC and the ESA partnered to pursue common goals jointly.
In November, the Europe-based organizations launched an initiative to use Earth-observing satellites to support decision-making and take timely action against climate change.
The partnership comes ahead of an EC law that seeks to govern the space industry in Europe, including creating a single space market across the European Union. Officials said in January that a draft of the law would be available by the end of March, but a commission spokesperson moved the legislation’s publication to late April.