Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele has on Monday visited the Italian defence company Leonardo and the European Space Research Institute (Esrin) of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Rome. Diependaele sees opportunities for cooperation for Flemish companies at both ESA and Leonardo.
Leonardo is an Italian holding company that is mainly active in the fields of aviation and defence. The company also employs more than a hundred people in Belgium. Diependaele, who is currently on a working visit to Italy, decided to stop by the defence company on Monday.
“It was very good to make contact with Leonardo, to see how we can introduce Flemish companies to them,” said the minister president after the visit. According to Diependaele, this contact is necessary because “we all know that the defence industry will expand enormously in the coming years”. Specifically, he believes that Flemish companies can play a role “by supplying high-tech equipment” to the major players in the defence sector, such as Leonardo.
Diependaele then visited the Esrin department of the European Space Agency (ESA). Esrin collects and manages data from ESA’s Earth observation satellites in Frascati, southeast of Rome. Among other things, it receives data from Copernicus.
“ESA conducts a great deal of scientific research that is also of particular interest to governments,” emphasised Diependaele. “Based on these Earth observations, we can implement policies, for example in the fields of agriculture, spatial planning and nature conservation.” “What’s more, ESA spends a lot of money. And the Flemish government contributes a lot to ESA, so of course we are happy when ESA uses Flemish companies. That is the link we are trying to establish here.”
According to Diependaele, Flemish companies still too often see the space sector as something that is far removed from them. “They think they cannot participate in it. But that is not true. Many Flemish companies should consider whether they can participate in ESA tenders. They can certainly benefit from this in terms of growth.”
Imec was also present during the visits to Leonardo and the ESA. The Leuven-based research centre wants to explore potential collaborations in the field of space travel and security. Advanced chip technology plays a very important role in this. Last month, Imec opened a European NanoIC pilot line, a test line for the development of the next generation of chips.
Diependaele will conclude his short trip to Italy on Tuesday with a visit to the northern region of Lombardy, the country’s economic engine. A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of innovation will be signed there.
#FlandersNewsService | Matthias Diependaele, Minister President of Flanders © BELGA PHOTO POOL BERT VAN DEN BROUCKE
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