INITIATIVES FOR SPACE SECTOR START-UPS.

PositionGovernment Activity

WSL was created in 1999 at the science park in Sart Tilman, which comprises a large number of space-related entities, including the Liege Space Centre, a centre that comes within the scope of the ESA and specialises in optical tests. The incubator was created to transfer space technologies to other industrial sectors and to develop new applications for the space sector. WSL provides support to researchers creating products or services to cater for non-space markets, a pre-set-up fund to help them build upon their enterprise plans and management and intellectual property consultancy services. WSL guides the companies during their early years so as to help them learn effective management techniques. WSL now covers five start-ups and three other companies are in the process of being created. The start-ups include Lasea, developed within the fold of the Liege Space Centre and a specialist in laser cleaning. Used to clean satellites, the lasers are also deployed in the car industry and the historical building remediation sector. The KEYOBS company (which is also a spin-off from the Liege Space Centre) has just developed a complete computer processing system offering new earth observation resources and providing a management tool for mining companies, governments of the countries concerned and humanitarian organisations.These options fit in with the key approaches the Commission and the ESA have selected to back this sector. At the end of 2000, the two institutions launched the LOSTEC project (Leveraging on Space Technologies to Enhance SME Competitiveness), that may be adapted to the needs of other economic sectors. Pre-selected initiatives will give rise to CRAFT projects (Co-operative Research Action For Technology, designed to provide aid to SMEs under the Community Framework Research Programme, to be submitted to the European Commission in September 2001.The ESA and the Commission are planning to create a "European space incubator" in due course with two strands:- a...

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