New website targets innovative SMEs for space partnerships
The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a new website dedicated to encouraging small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to get involved in its space programmes. The SME website is intended to be a 'meeting place' for those innovative firms looking to identify new partners and opportunities for them to work with ESA and its contractors on space programmes. 'The objective is to strengthen the communication with small- and medium-sized enterprises, a proven strong source of innovative technologies which have led to several new and ground-breaking solutions flown on ESA's satellites.' explains Nora Bougharouat, Head of ESA's SME Unit. The new SME website is an integral part of the Space Intelligence, Engineering and Quality Network (SineQuaNet), launched in November 2005 in cooperation with the Research Directorate General of the European Commission. The network intends to become a structuring tool for SMEs interested in the space business, by offering them support in engineering and industrial processes. The website offers information on the following: - business opportunities, includes invitations to tender and announcements of opportunities of special interest to SMEs; - training, includes material from training courses held previously, all available for downloading; - SineQuaNet, provides an on-line access to an expert database, permitting SMEs to search for sources of specific expertise, or for access to test and calibration facilities; - news, features SME success stories.