The Czech Republic has become the 18th member of the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2008, and since then the Czech industry has been interconnected with space research coordinated by ESA. The Czech Republic was the first country in Eastern Europe to join ESA. ESA uses a network of high-quality technology transfer centres (TC Prague is one of them since 1 September 2015) in its member states to actively assess market needs in areas with clear potential for the use of existing space technologies. The network has an online database with a marketplace of technologies, methodologies, proven practices, new materials, etc., where technology requests can be compared with available space technologies and further offered for use in the commercial non-space area for utilization on Earth in everyday life.

The main goal of the project is to increase the frequency of knowledge and technology transfers from ESA space programs to industry, but also from companies or universities working in space technology to other industrial areas outside the space sector. Technology transfer can also convey from a Czech entity to ESA.

TC Prague also cooperates with the Ministry of Transport CR and with the technology incubator ESA BIC. TC Prague actively addresses promising projects and provides them with advice in the presentation of ESA BIC project plans.

TC Prague representative is the national contact for space applications in the European Union research and innovation project Horizon 2020, fulfils the role of contact (so-called ILO - Industry Liaison Officer) for the cooperation of Czech industry with the European South Observatory (ESO) and organizes annually – in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport CR – Gate2Space conference.

For more information contact:

Ondřej Šimek, simek@tc.cz, 608 231 659

Albert Bouchal, bouchal@tc.cz, 720 947 835