European Space Agency
Established in 1975, the European Space Agency’s mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe. ESA’s projects are designed to find out more about the Earth, its immediate space environment, the solar system and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries.

ESA has 6 establishments around Europe, and 17 member states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). Canada, Hungary and the Czech Republic also participate in some projects under cooperation agreements.

Technology Transfer Programme
The main mission of the ESA Technology Transfer Programme (TTP) is to facilitate the use of space technology and space systems for non-space applications and to further demonstrate the benefit of the European Space Programme to the European citizens.

The Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO) is responsible for defining the overall approach and strategy for the transfer of space technologies and systems, including the incubation of start up companies.
www.esa.int/ttp


Finance Innovation Network Addressing New Commercial Enterprises using Space (FinanceSpace)
To foster growth and competitiveness in Europe, the European Union seeks to create and support new innovative businesses.

FinanceSpace is a project which seeks to coordinate all relevant space, innovation and innovation actors and address framework conditions affecting the space sector.

The project will:
-Highlight space sector specificities, including investment inhibitors
-Publish space market reports
-Develop tools and guidelines for technology owners & innovation actors in 2007
-Network space-sector, innovation and investment actors in a series of round tables
-Bring together investors and space technology owners at investment fora
-Publish a map of space finance needs and sources of finance in 2008
www.financespace-innova.com

   
INVESaT
INVESaT is a European project supported by the DG Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission, which aims at bridging the gap between INnovative enterprises and financial InVEstors in the emerging ICT markets of SaTellite applications.

Innovative services in the ICT sector are already based on large scale space-based investments involving earth observation, telecommunication, navigation, timing and positioning satellites. Hence, such satellite based capabilities, must be seen as incomparable, new and unique opportunities for Europe to enhance economic development in the ICT-based knowledge economy.

Having inherited the knowledge and expertise in developing new businesses using space technologies, or new services applications as end-use of satellite systems, several members of the ESINET network have joined under the leadership of EBN to consolidate and disseminate the tacit and explicit knowledge components required to stimulate and support more efficiently investments into innovative, ICT-intensive services.
www.invesat.com


European Special Applications Fund
Recently, E-Synergy Ltd (based in England and Switzerland) was selected as the business entity in charge of the establishment and the subsequent management of a European Special Applications Fund (formerly known as the ESINET Fund). In the near future the Agency and E-Synergy will start a road-show to raise the interest of investors.
www.e-synergy.com