Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

The most significant recommendations
The new space strategy should focus on pursuing a 
strengths-based approach by continuing to support 
current upstream strengths, and on developing syn-
ergies between upstream, midstream and down-
stream for the purposes of diversification into new 
areas based on existing competencies. The assess-
ments of potential carried out in the evaluation are 
already a useful starting point in this regard. 
In terms of technology transfer, technologies from 
other areas should increasingly be linked with 
space-specific issues in order to support spillover ef-
fects. This could be achieved through incentives by 
formulating calls for proposals on specific topics with 
synergy potentials for which the Austrian Space Ap-
plications Programme (ASAP) or other programmes in 
Austria’s innovation promotion portfolio could be 
used.
The new strategy requires a clear structure. To 
this end, a stringent relationship between a mis-
sion, the global objectives and specific sub-objec-
tives is helpful, with specific measures assigned to 
each of these. The strong dynamics in the policy 
field of space, which is already relatively complex, 
require the future strategy to be structured in a way 
that is adaptable so the dynamics of its implemen-
tation enable a continuous alignment of objectives 
and measures with developments in the sector. This 
will allow short-term corrections in direction if nec-
essary.
Austria should make sure to increase the leverage 
with the EU in particular due to the increasing signif-
icance of space programmes at the European level. In 
order to achieve this leverage effect, consideration 
should also be given to strengthening preparatory 
work at the national level in the Austrian Space Ap-
plications Programme (ASAP) and other programmes. 
This could be done by implementing strategic prepa-
ratory projects with appropriate consortia and inter-
national involvement. The practice of co-funding by 
foreign partners, first implemented as of 2018, can 
be used to a greater extent in order to achieve these 
types of partnerships. 
Finally, policymakers must ask themselves what 
position and what share Austria wishes to take in 
space research and the space market in view of 
growing ESA and EU budgets and the growing com-
mercial market. This would have budgetary conse-
quences, although these would be dealt with more 
effectively at the national level in preparation for 
leverage in the international market.