The Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, Waterford's John Halligan has announced the development of Ireland’s first national Space Strategy for Enterprise
The Strategy will set out how Ireland can maximise the benefit of its investment in the European Space Agency (ESA) and in the European Union's flagship space programmes, Copernicus, Galileo and Horizon 2020.
The Minister made the announcement at InnaLabs headquarters in Blanchardstown, a technology company which today also announced its biggest contract to date with ESA.
Welcoming the news Minister Halligan said "Today’s announcement is yet another example of the growing number of Irish companies benefitting from Ireland’s membership of ESA. Through our continued investment in the European Space Agency and with the support of my Department and Enterprise Ireland, Ireland’s space sector will continue to go from strength to strength."
The steering group for the Space Strategy for Enterprise will set out details about the process for producing the strategy when it meets in the coming weeks. This will include details about the public consultation that it will organise and which will be accessible on the websites of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland.
However Minister Halligan admitted that Ireland' is on the back foot when it comes to a Space Strategy. He says it's about time we looked to space for business opportunities: "We may have been a bit late to it but we're rapidly making up ground like the company here today."
‘Space Strategy for Enterprise’ launched by Minister @JohnHalligan today which sets out opportunities for Irish companies in flagship space programmes from European Space Agency (ESA) and in the EU’s Copernicus, Galileo and Horizon 2020 @Horizon2020_ire @CopernicusEU pic.twitter.com/BMziF0tqwj
— Enterprise Ireland (@Entirl) February 19, 2018
.@JohnHalligan “Today’s announcement is yet another example of the growing number of IE companies benefitting from Ireland’s membership of ESA. Through our continued investment in the ESA & with the support @EnterInnov & @Entirl, Irelands space sector will continue to grow.” pic.twitter.com/Qv3ipg1fYo
— Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (@DeptEnterprise) February 19, 2018
