This August, the ESA Technology Broker NL hosted MBA students from the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) at SBIC HQ for a session on “Pioneers and Innovators in Food Transition.” This visit was an integral part of their curriculum, designed to explore how space technologies are applied within the agri-food sector.
The students were introduced to the role of space-derived innovations in enhancing sustainability and efficiency in agriculture. Our presentations underscored how ESA’s technology brokerage facilitates the transfer of these advanced technologies to terrestrial industries.
Feedback from Piero Morseletto, who teaches ‘Circular Economy, Strategies and Business Models’ at RSM, highlighted the effectiveness of the session but suggested future visits could benefit from a deeper focus on specific issues, such as food production in space and agri-food applications of space technologies. He recommended providing advanced preparatory materials to better engage the experienced MBA students in high-level conceptual discussions.
Ian Loumous, Associate Director of RSM’s Full-time MBA programmr, commended the session’s impact and noted the students particularly appreciated the engaging presentations from Barry and Raoul. The feedback indicates that the visit was highly beneficial and has set the stage for future collaborations.
This visit not only enriched the students’ understanding of how space technologies can drive food transition but also opened avenues for deeper exploration into these innovations. We look forward to advancing this partnership and further contributing to the sustainable development of the agri-food industry.
About The ESA Technology Broker NL
The ESA Technology Broker Network is a dedicated consortium of specialists uniting space and non-space industries for the purpose of technology transfer. The ESA Technology Broker for the Netherlands is managed by NL Space Campus (Raoul Voeten) and SBIC Noordwijk (Jacobo Domingo), working closely with the ESA Commercialisation Gateway and the Netherlands Space Office. Drawing upon national technological roadmaps, the broker focuses on key sectors such as agri-food, energy, logistics and transportation, and high tech. The aim is to address innovation challenges using existing technology in the Netherlands while also leveraging relations with space technology developers across ESA Member States.
Reach out to the Broker
Whether you’re a non-space entity seeking to address innovation challenges or a space entity exploring terrestrial applications, you can reach out to find out how the broker can help you. Ultimately, the objective is to maximise the impact of space in the wider economy by matching potential space solutions with innovation challenges from terrestrial industries. Share your technology needs or innovative solutions, and let the broker facilitate impactful collaborations and technology transfers.
