The Space for Science & Society Programme intends to stimulate the collaboration between the different LDE universities and their faculties and research departments. By bringing the different research disciplines together, research topics can be undertaken that benefit from or require an interdisciplinary researchers team. These research topics can be focussed on improving scientific insight and knowledge but also societal challenges that can benefit from new technologies, innovations, capabilities and insights
Some examples of areas for collaboration are:
- Climate researchers and remote sensing/Earth observation experts for improving Earth Observation capabilities
- Astronomy and aerospace and instrumentation engineers for new science missions
- Business researchers with aerospace engineers for commercial space applications and developments
To this end, the LDE universities space related departments are working together on research activities within the TU Delft Space Institute.
The Space for Science & Society programme is not only intended for collaboration between the universities but also with the space research institutes and industry.
Research institutes and companies
When it comes to strengthening Zuid-Holland’s – and, by extension, the Dutch – space ecosystem, LDE Universities and NL Space Campus are not acting alone. They cooperate closely with a large number of research institutes and companies that focus partly or entirely on space. Key names include:
- ESA-ESTEC (the European Space Research and Technology Centre – the most important and largest facility and the technical heart of the European Space Agency),
- the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON),
- the Galileo Reference Center (GRC),
- the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR),
- the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and
- the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI).