Belgium gets own space agency
By mid-2017 Belgium will get its own space agency. The Interfederal Space Agency of Belgium, ISAB in short, will have an annual budget of 200 million euro and employ around 60 people.
The new agency will group many existing, space-related services. ISAB must ensure that the economic interests of the Belgian space sector are represented. Around 60 Belgian companies are active in aerospace activities. They have a combined turnover of approximately 350 million euros and employ around 2000 people. Some of them feature among the world's leading companies, such as Verhaert Space and aerospace group Sabca.
The agency cannot be compared to the European ESA, the French CNES or the American NASA. Belgium does not have sufficient means to develop its own satellite programmes. It will however cooperate with countries such as China, with which This should benefit the agriculture industry.
With the establishment of ISAB, Belgium hopes to become an important player within European and international aerospace.