Understanding the obstacles for technological spillover: the case of European Aerospace Missions

Due to the complexity and relevance of the scientific problems they address, astrophysical exploration missions can be a fertile ground for technological spillover. In the past, various space technologies, particularly in telecommunications, transportation, health care, and even military defense, spilled over or have been transferred from Space Agencies to industrial sectors. The boundaries between these two kind of actions are not always defined, for this reason we use the two concepts interchangeably. This article presents the results of a study on spillovers generated by six of the most important astrophysical missions launched by the European Space Agency in the first two decades of this century. These are notably: Integral, Planck Surveyor, XMM-Newton, Agile, Solar Orbiter, and Plato. In addition to some positive social effects, the results of the survey highlight the relevance of some technological innovations realized by small enterprises and then “transferred” to the industrial sector. The results also indicate the financial and organizational obstacles that could limit the possibility of transfer and thus the wider dissemination of innovations obtained in the development path of the Missions.