Cornelis (Niels) Eldering

Country	The Netherlands
Languages	Dutch (Native), German (Native), English (Fluent)
Profession	Technology Transfer Officer
Organisation	European Space Agency

Background

Cornelis (Niels) Eldering is Technology Transfer Officer at the Technology Transfer Programme Office of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Niels was instrumental in the definition and set-up of ESA's business incubation strategy and together with his team he continues to advance Technology Transfer and Business Incubation in Europe. The primary aim of the ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs) is to provide support to entrepreneurs who wish to exploit space-based solutions into non-space markets. ESA currently has 20 Business Incubation Centers across its member states and 60 locations where ESA incubation services are offered. This incubation approach has been adopted for similar technology transfer activities by CERN, Fraunhofer and Airbus Defence and Space. Niels has chaired over 100 evaluation boards for start-up company selection and evaluated over 1.800 business cases, including ideas filed for the European Satellite Navigation Competition.

Niels holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), where he in 2003 completed his research on setting up a strategy for ESA Business Incubation Centres. Passionately engaged in the challenging process from exploration to exploitation of space technology, he regularly provides keynote presentations on conferences as well as guest lectures such as to the CEMS Master in International Management. In 2015 he received the RSM Distinguished Alumni Award for Senior Leader due to his efforts in creating benefits for society by engaging business and education with space technology.

Niels is living in the Netherlands with his family and working at ESTEC, the European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk.

ESA Technology Transfer Programme Office

The main mission of ESA's Technology Transfer Programme is to strengthen the competitiveness of European Industry and to demonstrate the additional benefits of the European Space Programme by the transferring of space technologies to non-space applications. The Technology Transfer Programme Office is responsible for defining the overall approach and strategy for the transfer of space technologies applications and systems, including the incubation and funding of start up companies.

European Space Agency's Technology Transfer Programmes Office

The Global Alliance in Management Education

Rotterdam School of Management - Erasmus University Rotterdam

News

Practising for BepiColombo’s epic escape to Mercury

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 11:50:00 +0200

The international BepiColombo spacecraft will soon take flight, on a complex journey to the innermost planet of the Solar System, Mercury. Encompassing nine planetary flybys and travelling a total distance of nine billion km over a period of seven years, this will be one of the most intricate journeys ever flown by mission teams at ESA’s ESOC mission control centre.

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 10:27:00 +0200

How can I walk my dog on the Moon? What happens if I sneeze in space? Just some of the questions that more than 500 000 children around the world will be asking and attempting to answer over the next months, as part of this year’s FIRST LEGO League competition, a global STEM program with an annual theme that inspires and challenges young engineers and scientists. In Europe, ESA has teamed up with LEGO Education to provide inspiration, examples and expertise to the teams of children aged 6 to 16 who are competing for a place in the World Finals in Houston and Detroit, USA. To give an additional incentive, on 1 August, ESA astronaut and Space Station commander Alexander Gerst sent a message from orbit, together with a very helpful LEGO colleague!

Niels Eldering