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Eurisy is a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), created in 1989 on the initiative of its founder President, the late Hubert Curien, with the aim of promoting the benefits of space for European society. Since then, Eurisy has expanded its membership, now including 40 governmental space offices and space agencies, international organisations, research institutions, and private businesses involved in space-related activities or, more generally, in scientific and technological activities.
Eurisy has been a successful organisation for over 15 years. Enjoying high level support from its members, it has contributed significantly to the emergence of new key areas of attention for space technologies (such as Space for Humanitarian crises, Environmental monitoring, Maritime security.)
Space institutions are aware of the need to anchor space in the broader policy frameworks at political, economical and societal level. Henceforth, Eurisy members will be fully committed to opening up to the challenges of fully reaching new actors and shaping the relationship between space and society.
Eurisy's history of running cooperation between governmental, inter-governmental, non-governmental and business institutions has given Eurisy its particular capacity to respond to some of the needs related to this challenge.
The uniqueness of
Eurisy lies in its independence and freedom, its neutrality as being non-profit,
and its membership structure, which gathers institutional organisations into an
NGO. Eurisy is therefore a unique body that can carry institutional agendas in
an international, interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral and inter-institutional
manner.
Eurisy plays a strategic role in anchoring
space to society, raising awareness among decision-makers, civil society and
users, of the strategic importance of space for sustainable economic,
environmental and social development policies.
Eurisy is
a facilitator, gathering people together in order to promote horizontal
synergies. Eurisy allows its members to do collectively what they cannot - or do
not want to - do individually. Eurisy not only provides the link - emphasising
networking between the members - but also provides a neutral forum gathering
actors who are not used to working together.
Eurisy is striving to pursue its work towards promoting space and anchoring it within society. Toward this very aim of promoting space, three main axes have been identified :
1. To raise awareness of the strategic importance of space for
sustainable economic, environmental and social development policies among
decision makers
2. To support the emergence of new needs and user communities
3. To support the European space education agenda
Eurisy works within a 3 year programme of activity, revised annually. This programme is designed in close coordination with its members. The current planned activities are listed under activities.
(Founder of
Eurisy)
President : Dr Colin HICKS (United Kingdom)
Vice-President : Prof. Johannes ORTNER (Austria)
Treasurer : Mr Piero MESSINA (European Space Agency)
Secretary General : Dr Jean BRUSTON
In addition to the President and the Vice-President of Eurisy, Eurisy's Council is composed of the following members :
