FRENCH PLAN TO SUPPORT THE SPACE SECTOR
What has happened?
The French President has announced on January 12, 2021 a series of support measures for the space sector, which are currently being implemented.
Why this is important?
- Public support for the French space sector is welcome, which has a turnover of €4,2 billion and employs 16000 highly qualified persons.
- €500 million will be available in 2021, including €365 million in terms of new loans, €100 million for R&D activities on “dual use” technologies and €35 million for startups and SMEs.
What is in it for you?
The plans ambit to cover all needs of the space sector, focusing on SME and mid-caps’ needs.
Certain priority areas have already been defined:
- optical communications for GEO satellites
- “flexible” telecommunications satellites
- ground segment virtualization
- terminals for GEO satellites, HTS and VHTS constellations and IoT
- data economy platforms and applications.
There is also a nanosatellite plan to accelerate the in-flight validation of equipment and payloads and to strengthen and structure the French ecosystem of nanosatellites.
The support measures are not restricted to entities that are owned and controlled by French nationals, but the project coordinator must be a French company and the goal is to support the French economy.
Next steps
- The CNES will lead the implementation of the space plans, which will be also monitored by a steering committee made up of several other public bodies.
- The first calls for tenders for consortium projects (€ 5 million minimum, with industrial co-financing) in the above priority areas have already been published, with short deadlines.
- Themed calls for SME and mid-caps in the space sector and for “dual-use” technologies will be launched by the CNES.
- There will also be pitch days.France is launching a e 500 million space recovery plan.