Europe’s key civilian and defence decision makers will meet at the ESTEC-ESA Center in Noordwijk, The Netherlands to address their end-user needs and assessments on September 16th and 17th. Powerhouse innovators including NASA Ames, MANBAS ALPHA, Upsala University, IMEC and University of Twente among others will try to match these needs with state-of-the-art technology concepts.

A major area of interest to defence and civilian organizations alike include new and innovative achievements in MNT materials and sensors. The following end-users will present their needs and interests in these fields at the upcoming CANEUS Workshop.

From the United States European Command (EUCOM), Captain Jay Chesnut and Colonel Goldfein will be presenting their nanotechnology and innovative technology needs that can be rapidly fielded and demonstrated to support both space and defence needs, such as the proposed warfighter. As head of Innovation at EUCOM, Captain Chesnut and Colonel Goldfein have been achieving their aims of international stability and safety through forward thinking technological developments, particularly in the field of MNT. Recently, they have been working on nano-coatings with potential for a variety of applications and have expressed interest in innovative uses of existing space sensors.

From the European Defence Agency, Technology Manager of the R&T Joint Investment Programme on Force Protection, Mr. Ulrich Karock will be advancing an understanding of the European defence priorities and policies, and collaboration in defence. Also Mr. Karock will reflect on the role of MNT in technology forecasting, as part of the EDA’s strategic framework.

Europe’s political powerhouse, the European Commission will be represented by two workshop participants. Dr. Reinhard Schulte-Braucks, the Head of Unit Space Research and Development of the Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry at the European Commission will be addressing key policy issues and potential for transatlantic collaboration in space.

Also from the European Commission, Heico Frima will be presenting on the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration. Funding aspects, including the FP7 model are key to CANEUS workshops, and an important aspect of supporting project maturity.

Major Space drivers NASA and ESA are in the process of finalizing their nanotechnology for space needs roadmaps and are expected to present their vision at this Workshop. NASA has expressed interest for joint funding in advancing the potential projects and outcomes from this meeting.

These key civilian and defence end-users will be joined by an impressive group of MNT stakeholders namely, the inventors, system developer, and investors to work towards ensuring that new and emerging technology is nurtured through the various stages of development. Together these groups are committed to producing concrete MNT projects and deliverables within a 12-18 month timeframe.

For details on the ESA-CANEUS International Week on MNT for Space please visit:

www.caneus.org/MNTforSpace