Unity in space
The scientific discoveries linked to space can have a positive impact on industry, jobs, research, academia and a number of sectors in Europe. The European Space Agency (ESA) is one of two key organisations furthering the space programmes of European nations. The other is the European Commission's Space Research and Development unit. To bridge the aims of these two bodies, the EU is funding a project: 'Implementing the European Space Policy: A coherent European procurement law and policy for the Space Sector towards a third way' (SP4ESP). The project's 'Third Way' is a consolidated set of instruments or 'toolbox' that is encouraging EU nations to invest in space. It is unifying procurement of space programmes and projects under one common approach to foster efficient use of resources and encourage global competitiveness of Europe's space industry. Under SP4ESP, the Third Way is also promoting European autonomy in this sector and yielding more balanced involvement of Europe's different capabilities related to the space industry. The new toolbox is addressing issues such as funding schemes and structural funds related to the EU, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the ESA. It is quickly bringing together the most ideal procurement tools and related instruments all under one legal framework, offering more funding flexibility and combinations of funds from different sources. The SP4ESP procurement process has already been adopted by other EU agencies like the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). In sum, the SP4ESP toolbox of combined resources is being set up to address 27 issues related to procurement, including participation in projects, sourcing, transfer of know-how, contracts, legalities and statistics. This will facilitate the EU's space agenda considerably and enhance its contribution to European industry and economy.