On the 1st of October 2014 the ARTES Applications Ambassador Platform for Belgium was launched in Brussels, Belgium. Hosted by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO), Nicolas Helssen, acting as the ARTES Applications Broker, will be the initial point of contact for Belgian entities seeking detailed information concerning ESA's ARTES Applications Programmes. He will facilitate interested partners in doing business with the European Space Agency and will establish relationships with Belgian commercial and non-commercial entities, identifying user needs and investigating how these could be addressed by solutions offered by service providers active in the space sector.

The first conference attended by Mr. Helssen in his role as ARTES Applications Broker was at the Space Days conference in Transinnes, organized by Wallonie Espace and its partners on 13^th and 14^th of October. The theme of the conference was "Space Value on Earth - Galileo & Copernicus: Boosting Business and Innovation". Jointly with ESA IAP Feasibility Study Manager Stefan Gustafsson they moderated a workshop that tackled the issue of space applications from the perspective of both users and industries. The session focused mainly on topics related to transport and logistics, agriculture, and medical and crisis management.

The broker was also present at the annual "Logistics in Wallonia Idea Exposition", giving an overview of the potential of space infrastructure & technology for services related to transport and logistics. The event allowed companies, research centres, and academic institutions to demonstrate their knowledge, expertise, and ideas for more sustainable and efficient transport systems. The broker will also be present at the Belgian Earth Observation Day 2014 in Lier, Belgium on the 20th of November.

For additional information concerning the ARTES Applications Ambassador Platform for Belgium, please go to Ambassador Platform for Belgium.

Contact Details

Nicolas Helssen
ARTES Applications Broker

Avenue Louise 231
Brussels 1050
Belgium

+32 487 355 345

nicolas.helssen@belspo.be

At the ESTEC Open Day, which took place on Sunday 5 October at ESA's Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk (NL), several noteworthy ARTES-funded integrated application projects were presented to the public. ESA Technical Officer Rob Postema (above) demonstrated SATMODO and Amazon, while Jan Ridder of Orbital Eye demonstrated PIMS to a steady stream of interested onlookers.

The SATMODO project resulted in a forest management and logging application, called Treemetrics, while the Amazon project supported the development of Tempus Pro, a remote diagnostic tool for medical professionals working in remote regions. The PIMS project focussed on an application for the oil and gas industry to monitor pipeline integrity. 

At the display stands, the Telecommunications and Integrated Applications directorate also organised a quiz that gave visitors a chance to test their knowledge of how satellites are used in daily life, such as for car navigation and live TV coverage of large sports events. By the end of the day, more than 500 submissions were received. Three winners were selected and presented with prizes. 

Postema also gave a presentation,  “Space in Daily Life”, which attracted much attention. 

“We were delighted with the great interest shown by the public in our activities,” said Postema afterwards. “People are clearly eager to learn more about the impact of space technology on their daily lives.” 

Along with TIA, other directorates, including Space Science and Earth Observation, had many impressive materials on display. The ESTEC Test Centre, not normally accessible to visitors, likewise opened its doors. The public was also treated to a 4 m-wide model of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the strangely shaped comet that ESA’s Rosetta probe is currently orbiting and planning to land on. 

This year's Open Day attracted upwards of seven thousand visitors.