Dinner debate in European Parliament on the impact of the EU on Planetary Science
On 27th April 2016, Europlanet organised a dinner debate in the European Parliament, hosted by Ms Clare Moody MEP. The topic was ‘The Impact of the EU on Planetary Science’.
Since 2005, the European Commission has supported the European planetary science community with over 40 million Euros funding through FP6, FP7 and Horizon 2020 calls. Europlanet has received 18 million Euros to integrate planetary science across the European Research Area, currently through the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure, a 10 million Euro project to provide access to facilities, develop tools and build community cohesion, with a particular focus on countries with early-stage space programmes and EU Inclusiveness Member States.
European planetary science is riding high following the success of the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and upcoming missions to Mars, Jupiter and Mercury. However, there are challenges ahead for the community: how can Europe ensure it is the first choice for collaboration with emerging space powers, such as China and India? How can the sector develop the academic and entrepreneurial skills needed for a next generation EU space industry? This Dinner Debate will discuss the impact of EU Funding on planetary research and innovation, and priorities for ensuring the future competitiveness of this world-leading community.
Speakers
Ms Clare Moody MEP
Prof Nigel Mason, Coordinator, Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure
Hélène Boithias, Eurospace, the Space Group of ASD
Dr Tomas Pajdla, Assistant Professor, Czech Technical University in Prague
Mariana Barrosa, Executive Director, The Science Office Ltd, Portugal
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