On February 4 and 5, a delegation from the German state of Bremen visited the aerospace cluster in South Holland. The visit was prompted by the visit of the president of the German Bundesrat, Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte, to the Netherlands. He is also the mayor of Bremen.
A delegation of companies and knowledge institutions from the (aero)space sector traveled with him to South Holland. This group was led by Minister Kristina Vogt, responsible for Economy, Ports and Transformation in Bremen. The visit provided a good opportunity to further strengthen the strong bond between Bremen and South Holland. The regions already cooperate in the field of aerospace. During the visit, discussions were held on how this cooperation can be deepened and how both regions can continue to work together in the future.
The cooperation (opens in a new window) is an initiative of the Province of South Holland, the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, and the industry organizations Aviaspace Bremen and SpaceNed. These agreements are laid down in the Action Agenda Cooperation in the Space Sector between Bremen and South Holland.
Breeding ground for (Aero) space innovation
During the visit, the delegation became acquainted with various places that show how broad the aerospace sector is in South Holland. In Delft, the guests visited Smart Advanced Manufacturing XL (SAM XL) and the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft. There they saw how smart production techniques, robotics, and sustainable aviation are being developed. Students, researchers, and startups work together here on technology for the future.
There was also plenty of room for meetings and exchanges during the visit. Companies, knowledge institutions, and governments engaged in conversations during a networking reception on Wednesday evening. They strengthened existing contacts and explored new collaborations.
The next morning, the delegation traveled together with the president of the Bundesrat and the German ambassador to Noordwijk, the heart of Dutch spaceflight. One of the participants from Bremen also visited Unmanned Valley to get to know the drone innovation cluster better. At the NL Space Campus, the guests visited the new CometLab. During the delegation visit, this was mainly an important meeting place for organizations from Bremen and South Holland. They further discussed cooperation in aerospace, made plans for international events this year, and explored new themes for the future.
The visit concluded at ESA ESTEC in Noordwijk, the technical center of the European space organization. Satellites are tested here and new space missions are prepared.
Collaborating to accelerate innovation
The (Aero)space sector is growing rapidly. Technology from space helps, for example, in tracking climate change, improving communication, and increasing safety. By cooperating, regions like South Holland and Bremen can innovate faster and create new opportunities for companies and talent.
Meindert Stolk, Deputy of Economy and Innovation; “The Province of South Holland, the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Aviaspace Bremen, and SpaceNed have been actively and trustfully cooperating in aerospace for many years. In our joint Space Action Agenda, we show that we share the same ambition: to accelerate space innovation and create opportunities for talent, start-ups, and high-tech companies on themes such as digitalization. This visit gives us the chance to look ahead to the agenda for this year, next year, and beyond, and to explore how we can broaden our cooperation with new themes such as sustainable aviation and drones. Together with Bremen, we continue to accelerate and expand our joint ambitions in the (aero)space cluster.”
International attention for a strong region
The visit led to new and strengthened contacts between companies, knowledge institutions, and governments. Such meetings are often the start of new projects and cross-border collaborations and help to increase innovation and thus strengthen earning capacity.