Portugal strengthens contribution to ESA to stimulate scientific and technological development

The Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education (MCTES) and the President of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) took part in the meeting of the Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency (ESA), which took place on December 1st and 2nd in Switzerland.

At the meeting that brought together the ministers of the member countries responsible for science, technology and industry, Portugal proposed increasing its participation in ESA by 30.5 million euros over the next 6 years, which represents a 43% increase on the amount currently committed for the 2017-2022 period. FCT will be responsible for around 25% of this investment, and the remainder will be allocated to contributions from the Ministries of Economy, Planning and Infrastructures. Portugal is thus proposing to strengthen its position in the ESA in order to stimulate the participation of companies and institutions in space programs and its strategic positioning in the Atlantic. In this context, the creation and installation of the Air Center - Atlantic International Research Center in the Azores is being studied.

Portugal has been a member of ESA since 2000, with FCT coordinating the activities of the Portuguese Delegation and the participation of national R&D companies and institutes in ESA's space programs, including the programs implemented under the ESA-European Union Framework Agreement. Membership was essential to stimulate the participation of national researchers and institutions in programs of high intensity and scientific and technological relevance. Portugal participates with around 0.5% of the budgetary effort of ESA's 22 Member States, which over the last fifteen years has contributed to a solid collaboration between industry and the national scientific community in the development and use of space applications with enormous impact, in areas such as scientific instrumentation and sensors for planetary missions, advanced software for satellite navigation and control, new materials and composites (based on cork) for satellite and launcher structures, management and operation of technological infrastructures for simulating the re-entry of satellites into the Earth's atmosphere and tracking the trajectory of large launchers, among others.

Portuguese space skills and applications have been successfully transferred to other sectors with high impact and economic value, such as aeronautics, automotive, naval, rail, energy, earth observation, agriculture, security and civil protection, communications and augmented reality. Between companies and academia, around 110 Portuguese entities are or have been involved in projects with ESA, which represents a direct return for the country of around 155 million euros - translating into an industrial return of over 100% in 2015, taking into account the national contribution to the organization.

The space ecosystem in Portugal is sustained by highly qualified human resources. For those who want to start a career in these areas, applications are currently open for Technological Internships at ESA, ESO and CERN for those who have completed their degree in less than 6 years or their PhD in less than 4 years. FCT supports 18 Studentships in this context. Find out more here.

Image credit: http://www.esa.int/por/ESA_in_your_country/Portugal/Lisboa