Today, the National Institute of Chemistry is hosting an event titled “Space Research Opportunities – ESA and Horizon Europe”. The event is organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport. The complete agenda is available on this link.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is at the forefront of this event, showcasing the potential and opportunities that space research presents. The event aims to highlight the importance of space research in advancing scientific knowledge, fostering innovation, and contributing to economic growth. With a few FRISSBE members having prior hands-on experience with space fire safety research we were also invited to attend it.

Grunde Jomaas, ERA Chair holder at FRISSBE, and Ulises Rojas-Alva, senior researcher in FRISSBE collaborate and participate in projects related to fire safety in space with both NASA and ESA. They are also running the ESA Topical Team called ExFires. One of the most prominent outputs of their work can be found in the recent series of white papers by ESA. Their contribution was the Fire Safety part in White Paper #8: Applied Space Sciences.

Participants had the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in space research, discuss potential collaborations, and explore funding opportunities under Horizon Europe. The event promises to be a platform for dialogue and exchange of ideas among researchers, policymakers, and industry representatives.