April 17, 2023 – A delegation comprising select companies, institutions and members of the Dutch Defence Ministry are at the 38th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs in the United States this week. From 17-20 April 2023, under the joint NL Space umbrella, they represent the Dutch space industry. This year’s delegation is the largest to the symposium and carries a comprehensive profile of the knowledge and skills of the Dutch space sector.
Innovations developed by the Dutch space sector contribute to everyday applications. From navigation and telecommunications to climate change monitoring and security, the impact of space industry is everywhere. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos may be prominent within the rapidly growing international space industry landscape, but the Dutch space sector definitely holds its own in this arena. For this reason, Dutch companies in this landscape have joined forces in a collaboration, supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the Dutch Embassy in the US and the Dutch space agency Netherlands Space Office, to pursue opportunities in the US and beyond.
The Netherlands is known worldwide for its innovative and versatile knowledge-economy and its compact—and open—ecosystem for developments in the space sector. This ecosystem is based on the unique and intensive collaboration between companies, institutes, universities and the government. For decades, Dutch innovations, knowledge and products have been vital to the advancement of global space industry.
“The Dutch space ecosystem is unique. Nowhere else will you find such a concentration of high-tech companies that work together with the government and official bodies to jointly put—and keep—the Dutch space sector on the map. The level of our knowledge and skills, in combination with the openness and international character that the Dutch space industry is known for, enables us to present as a united collaboration to our important American partners.”
Jasper van Loon, director of Space Business at NSO.
The Dutch delegation to the 38th Space Symposium is a collaboration between technology companies, knowledge institutes, universities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Ministry of Defence, the Dutch Embassy in Washington, the Dutch Consulate in San Francisco, the Netherlands Space Office and the Netherlands Innovation Network.
About NL Space
The Netherlands was part of the inception of European space travel and has always played a leading international role in scientific space research. Dutch space companies and institutes do this by providing reliable technology and groundbreaking science. Visibility is essential to make an international difference; and this is why Dutch space organisations present themselves as a united presence: under the name NL Space.
About the 38th Space Symposium
The Space Symposium, organised by the Space Foundation, has been the premier gathering for the global space ecosystem since 1984. Held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the live event is attended by more than 10,000 people from around the world, including commercial and government leaders, speakers, exhibitors, entrepreneurs, media educators and students. For more information about Space Symposium, visit www.spacesymposium.org.
