Academic and industrial cooperation in innovative space research

The European Space Agency's interest in the broad area of academic research stems from the objective of building up capacity in universities in order to stimulate technological innovation, synergy and harmonisation throughout the ESA Member States. This article gives an overview of several initiativ es and activities within the Directorate of Industrial Matters pertaining t o academic research and cooperation, namely the Academic Research Programme (TRP), the Academic Research Pilot Initiative for the Mapping and Harmonis ation of Space R & D Activities in European Universities, studies on Univer sity-industry Relations in the Space Domain, and the Conference on Academic and Industrial Research Cooperation in Space (Vienna, 4-6 Nov 1998), Concl usions and recommendations resulting from the studies and the conference ar e also provided.