On 16th June 2011, NEREUS organized a “High-level Workshop on Danube Strategy & Space Technologies” at the Committee of the Regions (CoR). The EU-Strategy for the Danube region aims at boosting development along the Danube region by addressing cross-sectorial key issues like environmental threats, transport connections, energy supply, safety & security and much more.
The workshop, welcomed by Mr. Gerhard Stahl, Secretary General of the CoR, aimed at demonstrating the connection of space policy with territorial policies by presenting practical examples how space based services can contribute to the implementation of the Danube Strategy and its Action Plan. The event was targeted at high-level political and administrative representatives, senior regional officials, and representatives of the private sector.
NEREUS President, Mr. Alain Bénéteau, opened the first panel by outlining that the macro-regional approach opens the way for new forms of cooperation whilst stressing the significance of using space technologies to enforce the regional economic development.
The first panel linked representatives of space and regional policy. Representatives of the Cabinets van Rompuy and Tajani, (Mr. Michel Praet and Johann Friedrich Colsman) gave input on the latest developments of European space policy and highlighted the horizontal aspect of space policy for the development of regional policies. Colsman mentioned that the EC will in about two weeks propose the new budget. The representative of the European Commission, DG Reggio Ms. Eva Nussmüller presented the ongoing progress around the Danube strategy and its crucial milestones. In her intervention she emphasized the need for awareness raising for EU regional policies, opportunities and instruments as an important source to optimize the exploitation of space and foster the space market in Europe. With specific regard to the Danube strategy, she pointed out the importance to set up new space projects to take full benefits of the funds already allocated.
In the second panel representatives of the private sector presented concrete examples of Space applications for the implementation of the Strategy Action Plan.
Please find below the speakers’ presentation (2° panel).
“Space Solutions for flood management” Mr. Jerome Bequignon, ESA Office Brussels,
“For a Space based Information System for Environment and Crisis Assessment along the Danube” Mr. Marc Tondriaux EADS/Astrium
“Immediate Solutions for effective Communications in the Danube Region” Ms. Aarti Holla-Maini, ESOA
“Relevance of GMES concerning flood risk management for cities and regions in the Danube area” Ms. Petra Dippold, Danube-Office e V.
“Operational GMES services for the Pillars of the Danube Strategy Intervention” Mr. Franz Jaskolla, Infoterra Gmbh
“Interregional water way and water quality monitoring of Danube from the origin up to the Baltic Sea using GMES” Dr. Thomas Heege, EOMAP
“NAVWAT Project: Future High Precision Navigation System for Inland Waterways” Mr. Christoph Amlacher, via donau-Österreichische Wasserstraßen-Gmbh
“Urban Development-Looking back to the sixties and looking forward to 2020” Mr. Christian Hoffmann, GeoVille Information Systems Group Gmbh
“Assimilation of EO data for evaluating runoff in Alpine watersheds: the case of AWARE project” Ms. Branka Cuca, POLIMI
