News item | 21-10-2022 | 9:00 am
Secure communication, navigation, precision farming, measuring and tackling emissions and water management. The applications of space technology are extensive, provide more than 10,000 jobs in the Netherlands and are necessary for sustainability and digitization ambitions. That is why the government will invest an additional 32% in European space programs (EUR 376.5 million) over the next three years. Including national programmes, the government’s policy up to and including 2025 comprises more than 500 million euros. That’s in the Memorandum on Space Policy 2022 which was sent to the House of Representatives today by Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate).
Minister Micky Adriaansens (EZK): “Space travel lays the foundation for everyday innovative technology and a safe infrastructure. Internationally, therefore, both governments and companies are increasingly investing in this. The government will now also broaden its commitment to space technology. For example, thanks to the National Growth Fund and the upcoming Defense Space Agenda there will be additional opportunities in the Netherlands in addition to the existing budgets. The cabinet will therefore invest more in space in the coming years, because it is important for our society and generates income.”
Investments through programs European Space Agency (ESA)
The Dutch commitment to the forthcoming Ministerial Conference (MC22) of the European Space Agency (ESA) on November 22 and 23, 2022 in Paris, France, amounts to a total of 376.5 million euros (2023-2025). The 22 member states of the ESA agree with each other every three years how much they will jointly invest in space travel. In the period 2020-2022, the Netherlands contributed 283.5 million euros to ESA programmes. The Dutch budget has therefore been increased by 32 percent.
The ESA treaty stipulates that member states contribute to the compulsory programs in accordance with their share in the gross domestic product (GDP) of the ESA (for the Netherlands: 4.7%). The Netherlands meets this requirement with 165.1 million euros for the coming period. In addition, the Netherlands is investing 211.4 million euros in so-called optional European space programs in the field of, for example, earth observation and satellite communication.
Additional opportunities for space through innovation and defense policy
In addition to investments by the Ministries of EZK and OCW in the ESA programmes, the national government also supports space travel in other ways. In total, this concerns more than 500 million euros over the next three years. For example, the Netherlands is going both nationally and by now registering with the ESA from the National Growth Fund investing in laser satellite communications. This is done through the project NXTGEN HIGH-TECH. This form of communication has a high security standard and enables faster data transfer with compact systems. For example, between satellites, ground stations and aircraft.
Space technology often has civil and military applications. From the Defense Space Agenda An amount of 25 million to 100 million euros will become available from 2023. This agenda offers opportunities for Dutch high-tech companies and for the involvement of Defense in civilian EU programmes. An example is the intended deployment by the Netherlands of military radar capacity in the Netherlands EU Space Surveillance & Tracking Partnership (EU-SST), an important part of the European approach to space traffic management.
The Memorandum on Space Policy 2022 can be read here.