ESA_Lab@ inaugurated in Norway
ESA signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim and its network of academic partners last week.
The new agreement, signed by ESA Director General Jan Wörner and the university’s Dean of Faculty for Natural Sciences and Technology Anne Borg on 7 December, will establish a close cooperation between ESA and the research community at the university, as well as the industry and innovation community connected to it.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is the largest university in Norway and among the 500 highest ranked universities in the world. It is one of the leading research institutions in Norway and cooperates closely with both industry and the innovation community.
ESA cooperates with a number of leading universities all over Europe, including Oxford University and the Technical University of Denmark in similar ESA_Lab@ institutional links.
By creating the ESA_Lab@NTNU, participants will focus on, among other fields, remote sensing and observation platforms for ocean and environmental research. This includes coordinated missions from satellites, underwater robotic drones, aerial drones and surface vessels in harsh environments, such as offshore or the Arctic. Other activities such as lectures, workshops, conferences are also planned.
“Norway has been a space nation for a long time and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has been a leader of both research and education in this field. Thus, it is only natural to include the university into ESA's network of academic partners,” says Kim Nergaard, coordinator for the network at ESA.
“Joining ESA’s network of leading universities and gaining access to the space organisation’s wealth of expertise is a fantastic opportunity for the NTNU, its research community and students. This cooperation will also increase the level of competency in fields that will be greatly needed in Norway in the future,” says Marianne Vinje Tantillo, of Norsk Romsenter, the Norwegian space agency.
The cooperation will be coordinated by the NTNU Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering in Norway and ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Germany.
For more information:
Kim Nergaard, Head of Mission Operations Definition Unit, ESA Solar System & Exploration Missions
Email kim.nergaard @ esa.int
