Article Posted on : - Apr 20, 2009

The 'Space Transfer' programme will be held at Hanover, Germany, from April 20 to 24. Photo Credit: ESA

PARIS (BNS): To highlight the potential advancements in space technology and its usage in non-space sectors, the European Space Agency is holding its second annual ‘SpaceTransfer’ event at Hanover, Germany, from Monday.

The five-day event will offer the European industry access to innovative ideas which were originally developed and funded by European space programmes, the ESA said in a statement here.

The programme was initiated by ESA’s Technology Transfer Programe Office (TTPO) in 2008. TTPO has teamed up with many partners from the aerospace sector to support transfer of knowledge between the space and non-space industry, the statement said.

Many day-to-day products like the actuator for an airbag, fireproof garments for firefighters and exotic items such as the material used for the tailgate of the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder car, come from space technology. The latter will be showcased at the event to illustrate the very latest technology transfer developments in the automobile industry, the space agency said.

Eleven companies will present their successful technology transfers at SpaceTransfer09, showcasing the huge potential and opportunities of technologies, systems and expertise used in European space programmes.

ESA and its broker network of companies have already implemented more than 230 technology transfers, ESA said.

Paralympic gold medal winner Wojtek Czyz, who has achieved international success with an artificial limb developed using aerospace research, will visit the exhibition as guest of honour. Germany’s first private female suborbital spaceflight participant, Sonja Rohde, who is set to go into space in 2010, will also attend the event.