About Directorate Technology Programmes
ESA’s Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality is the entity responsible within the Agency for the technology developments necessary to implement ESA’s programmes.
The Directorate is responsible for the implementation of the general technology activities of ESA and coordinates technology developments within their specific programme lines.
Accordingly, it oversees a set of R&D programmes aimed at sourcing innovation beyond the immediate market horizon while also serving to de-risk the innovation process for industry. These are as follows:
| BASIC TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT (TDE) | |
| Yearly Budget: | ~ 65 M€ |
| Targeted for Technology: | 100% |
| TRL Targeted (at the end of the activity): | up to 3-4 |
| Procurement Policy: | Open Competitive, (DN exceptional cases) |
| Funding of activities: | 100% |
| Call Restriction: | ESA Member States |
The Technology Development Element is a mandatory programme organised according to technology domains based in turn on application areas, i.e. Earth Observation, Space Science, Exploration, Space Transportation, Telecommunication and Navigation.
TDE is the only ESA technology Programme supporting all of ESA’s fields of activity across the entire spectrum of technical disciplines, providing the technological nucleus for most future developments.
Moreover, it supports the development of Generic Technologies, either of use to multiple missions or advanced basic technologies of common interest to all applications (e.g. in the field of components, software, power generation, satellite propulsion).
TDE covers the classical technology development (TDE 2 Year Work Plan).
Ideas can be also proposed via specific announcements of opportunities. 'Calls for activities are made via esa-star Publication.
For further information, please visit the website Shaping the Future.
| General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) | |
| Yearly Budget: | ~ 90 M€ |
| Targeted for Technology: | 100% |
| TRL Targeted (at the end of the activity): | 5 (and above) |
| Procurement Policy: | Optional Programme, GEO return of 1, Open Competitive (non-competitive tenders are possible) |
| Funding of activities: | 100% (co-funding is possible in Element 1 & 3 and is required for Element 2) |
The General Support Technology Programme addresses new needs and emerging applications. Its objectives are to:
- Enable activities of ESA and National Programmes by developing technology,
- Support the competitiveness of European industry,
- Foster innovation and Transfer non-space technology to use in the design of new space systems (‘spin-in’),
- Enhance European technology non-dependence and the availability of European resources for critical technologies.
The Programme activities are performed under three Elements: Element 1, Element 2 and Element 3.
Technology Transfer Programme (TTP) works to share the benefits of ESA research and development, making space sector technologies available to the rest of European industry.
The Agency's TTP Office identifies industrial needs then maps them to suitable space technologies, as a way of enabling new applications and business opportunities. The TTPO also provides support to new businesses based on the transfer and use of space technologies.
The TTP office periodically issues calls for companies to undertake Transfer Demonstrator projects. These involve taking technology developed for space and applying it to non-space uses. In addition, periodic calls are made for both companies and technical authorities to undertake studies into the business/technical case for such transfers. Such calls are issued through MST-Aerospace GmbH, the company that manages ESA's Technology Transfer Network (TTN) and runs the Technology Forum website.
For more information visit ESA's Technology Transfer Programme website.
European Component Initiative (ECI) aims at maintaining and enhancing a European industrial base for critical technologies needed by Europe's space missions. This key initiative has within a few years managed to turn Europe from a net importer of components into a net exporter.
ECI exists to reduce the dependence of Europe's space sector on non-European component suppliers, focusing on one of the building blocks of space missions - Electrical, Electronic and Electromagnetic (EEE) components. The ECI increases the availability of European EEE-components used in European space missions by identifying critical space technologies and then developing capabilities to manufacture them within Europe.
ECI procurement takes place on an open competitive basis as a general rule. ESA-funded Invitations to tender, funded on a 100 percent basis, are listed continuously throughout the year on ESA's esa-star Publication.
Members of the European space components industry and equipment manufacturers have the opportunity to propose future technologies for ECI activities through participation to the ESCC working groups or by directly contacting ECI project office keith.miller@esa.int.
More information on how to participate is available through the European Space Components Information Exchange System (ESCIES) website.
