Inaugurated on 13 May 1993, the GSTP was originally an integral part of ESA’s long-term plan to make sure the Agency kept ahead of technologies it might need. GSTP aims to work with industry, academia and Participating States to predict what those technologies might be or to see if current innovative technologies used on Earth can be adapted for use in Space. In the programme’s lifetime over 2000 contracts have been awarded to do just that.