The Belgian Space Industry

Thanks to the efforts of the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO), and largely via the R&D activities of the ESA, Belgian industry plays a significant role within the European space sector.

According to a study by IDEA Consult of 2018, the main effects for a company of its participation in space programs are:

• strengthening of its spear point technology, innovative solutions and new products
• strengthening of its market share and its international position
• increase of its knowledge base and innovation capacity. Faster product development.
• additional investments
• positive effect on employment
• bigger turnover

This results in a leverage effect for the company, as well as on a macro economic scale. The most important objectives for the choices of BELSPO for participation in ESA space projects are:

• ensure recurrency
• Ideally, the development of a product results in a more or less series production of recurrent products. Typical examples are the developments for launchers or power management units for satellites.
• reinforcement of the competitive position
• Preferably, the product developed for ESA is also applied by the company in other domains and other applications. This time without financial support.
• increasing the international visibility and reputation of the Belgian space industry.
• reinforcement of the strategic axes where Belgium is strong and the identification of evolutions and eventual new strategic axes.
• reinforcement of the industrial high tech networks in Belgium as well as the linked economic activities and societal impact (e.g. employment).

Between 1/1/2015 and 1/6/2020, 232 Belgian companies received an ESA contract. The total contract value was 746 million Euro.
Most of the Belgian companies active in space matters, are member of a Belgian space association:

• Belgospace
• BAG - The Brussels Aerospace & Defence Group
• VRI - Flemish Space Industry
• Wallonie Espace

Besides these Belgian space associations, there are a number of European, international associations, like Eurospace and SME4Space .

If you are a Belgian company and if you want to participate in space activities, then the Space Research and Applications department of BELSPO is eager to help you. You can also bid on one of the ESA invitations to tender, all by yourself. You can find these ESA invitations to tender on the esa-star Publication System portal.