Removing Barriers, Integrating Research, Spreading Excellence: The European Satellite Communications Network of Excellence "SatNEx"

Kurzfassung

Within the broad field of communications, satellites are successfully used for broadcast, mobile, and broadband communication. They play an important role for the competitiveness of the European Union (EU) in the field of communication technologies and support the autonomy of Europe in space matters. Beside the players in the US and Asia, European space industry, satellite operators and space-related organizations constitute a world leading force. Europe has always retained a major presence in both manufacturing satellites (Alcatel, EADS/Astrium, Alenia Aerospazio, . . . ) as well as launching and operating satellites (Arianespace, . . . ) and providing satellite services (SES Global, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, . . . ). Satellite communications has been an area in the satellite field that has been commercially successful so far and this has been helped and pump primed by the research and development (R&D) programs of the European Space Agency (ESA) and by the EU framework programmes. European research carried out a large number of successful activities in satellite communications (ESA and EU projects, European co-operation in the field of scientific and technical research (COST) actions1, the task force on advanced satellite mobile systems (ASMS-TF), etc.). Their efforts have made it possible to create a solid industrial base and to give Europe recognized capabilities and capacities. However, these actions show only limited collaboration and lack of critical mass. Compared to the leading power in space, the United States, where the use of space systems is not only a technological instrument, but a strategic, political and economic instrument guaranteeing the American leadership, Europe in the past has shown only limited interest in developing a common European approach to put its resources together and cooperate intensively even without the support from ESA. In latter years, satellite communications has been viewed as a mature area that is more the responsibility of industry and commerce and less that of the R&D agencies. This has resulted in reduced staff support for R&D in the area in preference to the science and navigation/positioning areas. At the same time we have seen a rationalization of the industrial business due to economic pressures manifested in mergers of the large industrial companies both within Europe and globally. The growth has been in the smaller and medium size companies that have sprung up in abundance in the applications and services area.