Ibadan, 21 November 2022. – Norway has announced its commitment to maintaining its participation in the European Space Agency (ESA) at its current level. This announcement came a week before the ministerial meeting in Paris, which would shape ESA’s budget for the next three years.
The agreement means that Norway’s support for ESA will remain at 161 million euros distributed over the coming period. As a result, it will enable Norway’s participation in the ESA programs that are most significant for Norwegian companies and research organizations.
“We are very happy to see that an agreement has been reached, supported by the Parliament. This demonstrates the importance of the Norwegian space sector for the entire country,” says Christian Hauglie-Hanssen, Director General of the Norwegian Space Agency. He continued that Norway can use ESA to “further increase the relevance of the use of satellites and other data from space for society as a whole.”
Hauglie-Hanssen added that Norway’s participation in the ESA is a prerequisite for successfully implementing the national investments described in the country’s Hurdal platform.
ESA develops and operates European civilian activities in space and is the largest organization for research and development in Europe. Norway has been a member of the ESA since 1987. ESA’s technology development is also the foundation for the EU’s space programs, including those for navigation, climate, and maritime monitoring.
The next ministerial meeting for ESA will be in Paris on the 22nd and 23rd of November, 2022. Ms. Anne Marit Bjørnflaten, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries, and Mr. Christian Hauglie-Hanssen will be heading Norway’s delegation.
