European Components Initiative
Keith Miller
European Space Agency, ESTEC, The Netherlands
Abstract
In 1990’s ESA, National Space Agencies, and the European Space Industry observed a rapidly decreasing European market share of Electrical, Electronic and Electromechanical (EEE) components suitable for space applications. Europe was becoming increasingly dependent on the non-European export regulated sources for space components. Consequently, Europe’s competitiveness in the global market was impacted, as the best technology for a given mission was not necessarily accessible.
In 2004, to reduce the dependence of Europe’s space sector on non-European component suppliers an EEEcomponents action plan was put in place called the European Component Initiative (ECI). Since then, ESA has launched four phases of the ECI, each phase focusing on the business needs in the next 3 to 5 years. In total, 98 ESA contracts actions have been placed. Recent surveys have shown that the ratio of European to non-European EEE-components used in a typical European built commercial satellite has increased from just 15% in 2000 to 50% in 2015 and significant improvements have been achieved in securing a European supply chain for EEE components for space.
The presentation will outline the objectives of the ECI, how it is being implemented and the problems facing the European EEE space component supply chain.