📋 Tender Overview
The two-day session of the ESA Council CM22 which was also attended by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology Matev Frange was successfully concluded in Paris. In addition he also participated in the OECD Forum for Green Growth and Sustainable Development entitled Green Innovation and the Impact of economic shocks.At the meeting high representatives of ESA member states approved new ESA programs provided financial resources for their implementation and approved three resolutions on ESA programs and activities on the amount of funds for carrying out the basic activities of the agency and the Guyana space center and strategic test infrastructure in the period 2023- 2027.State Secretary Matev Frange emphasized at the meeting that the space sector in Slovenia has recorded rapid growth in the last six years. He added Space technology plays an important role in effectively dealing with new challenges such as climate change digitization security as well as in stimulating the entire economy. Slovenia will therefore in view of the competences and potentials of Slovenian companies and institutions further strengthen cooperation with Esa.Slovenia will increase its contribution to the ESA programs in 2022 and 2023 from EUR 3 million to EUR 5.8 million in annual payments. At the meeting Slovenia additionally joined the participation in the programs Digital twin of Earth within the Earth Observation program Investing in industrial innovations InCubed within the Earth Observation program and Space solutions and business applications BASS within the ARTES program.In addition Slovenia has confirmed participation in the four ESE optional programs in which it has participated so far namely the program for the development of general technologies - GSTP the program for Earth observation - EO the scientific program Prodex and the program for human and robotic research - E3P 3.By signing the upgraded Association Agreement with Esa in 2020 Slovenia upgraded cooperation - with the goal of becoming a full member.Slovenia withdraws approximately 30 percent more funds than it pays in and the economic multiplier generated by these investments reaches five times the investments. The long-term effect of the participation of Slovenian companies and research institutions in Esa programs is planned to be even greater as Slovenia wants to develop entirely new industries with high added value which are already emerging around the Slovenian space industry.In recent years quite a few companies have taken advantage of the opportunity and successfully competed in Esa tenders. More than 60 contracts with a total value of more than 17.7 million euros were signed. Some companies and institutions successfully upgraded their cooperation with Esa within the framework of the Horizon 2020 instrument or concluded larger commercial deals on international markets.Companies and institutions dealing with high technology or space research and with their products or globally competitive services include for example Sinergise Skylabs Balmar Dewesoft Duol Cosylab Vesolje-SI Joef tefan Institute ZRC SAZU Geocodis University of Ljubljana University of Maribor University of Nova Gorica and others.The decisions taken at the ESA Council meeting CM22 will enable continuity of cooperation for companies and institutions that already cooperate with ESA as well as new ones especially in the field of breakthrough technologies where Slovenia is at the very top of development. Companies that develop innovative technologies and products but do not usually deal with space e.g. drive systems sensors electronics 3D printing robotics etc. will also be able to participate. The development of innovative and commercially sustainable products and services will therefore be supported.State Secretary Frange also attended the Forum on Green Growth and Sustainable Development of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD entitled Green innovations and the impact of economic. Within the framework of the forum he participated in two panels namely International Cooperation for the Acceleration of Innovation and the Transfer of Green Technologies and Promotion of Green Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises SMEs.This years forum discussed the long-term consequences of recent economic turmoil COVID-19 the war in Ukraine the energy crisis for green innovation. At the forum the participants discussed how to balance support for research into new technologies and the introduction of green technologies which are already in the commercialization phase in times of economic and especially energy uncertainty. The forum highlighted the role that hydrogen use and the bioeconomy could play in sustainable recovery and the specific challenges and opportunities facing SMEs. Discussion also took place on how lessons learned from international scientific cooperation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic could be applied to international efforts to address climate change and other environmental challenges.On the sidelines of the forum State Secretary Frange also met with OECD Deputy Secretary General Yoshiki Takeuchi and OECD Director General Lamia Kamal-Chaoui responsible for entrepreneurship. The discussion focused on the challenges and opportunities currently faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in the OECD area. State Secretary Frange particularly emphasized the access of SMEs to sources of financing and the search for opportunities that the OECD can offer Slovenia in this area.
