The Czech Space Alliance (CSA) is an industrial association of, and for, the Czech space industry, with proven skills and track record in aerospace business and with broad international client base. The alliance was established in 2006 under the auspices of CzechTrade, the export promotion agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. During the process leading to the Czech accession to the ESA convention in 2008, it formalised its statutes and became registered as a legal entity.

The alliance comprises 16 companies from a spectrum of technology disciplines [see members] and some 300 man years of experience in space projects.

Among the main goals are:

Internally — represent and promote the interests of the space industry to the national decision makers, the media and other relevant associations or entities; co-operate with the ministries and all other official entities supporting space activities in the formulation of space policy and creation of suitable conditions for the growth of the space industry.

Externally — present the skills of its members at international events and establish dialogue with similar associations and space agencies, be they in Europe or beyond; help its members to develop business relationship with potential partners in other European Space Agency member.

In the absence of any national space agency, the Czech relationship with ESA has been the responsibility of the department for international scientific co-operation of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. This ministry, supported by the Czech Board for Space Activities (which includes representatives of three CSA members) and the private non-profit company Czech Space Office (CSO), had been managing the space activities during the transition period of 2005-2008, when the Czech Republic participated in the Programme for European Co-operating States (PECS).

When on 12^th November 2008 the Czech Republic acceded to the ESA convention, ESA and the Czech Republic, represented by the Ministry of Education, established the joint ESA-Czech Task Force – a concept already proven with previous new ESA members – to ensure that Czech industry and academia have the capabilities to participate in ESA programmes. The Task Force is the advisory body for the Czech Industry Incentive Scheme, a transitional measure defined in the Treaty for the Accession of the Czech Republic to the ESA Convention. At the same time the Ministries of Transport, Industry and Environment became increasing involved and are voicing their positions. The Task Force, together with CSO and the relevant ministries will be helping our industry for 6 years to develop skills and opportunities to enable us to become more familiar with the ESA business culture and procedures, and more competitive with ESA member states' industry. The Czech Industry Incentive Scheme, an ESA programme following ESA's rules and procedures, allocates for this 45% of the Czech mandatory contribution to ESA over the said 6 years.

CSA aims to provide to all these bodies its practical know-how and experience with space projects on one hand, and alert them of the industrial needs, preferences or possible impediments in their endeavour to become more involved in and more competitive in ESA programmes. As such, it should be regarded as an important practical complement and source of information, to the activities which the official entities carry out or plan to do.

CSA is one of the founding members of the pan-European association of national space alliances, SME4space, which was established at the Paris air-show in 2007. At the show, on 19^th June, it signed a co-operation agreement with the ESA DG. Since then, it also ran a study of the needs of SMEs in ESA, for the ESA SME Unit. The Czech alliance covered the PECS countries in this study.

Following a number of industry projects during the PECS period, the entry into full membership has been inaugurated by a generic competitive tender process restricted to the Czech Republic (AO6052), to the value of 2.3 MEUR. The alliance members are expected to win the lion's share of the funds to be awarded to industry.

CSA builds on the very strong background experience which the Czech Republic gained during its substantial participation in the Soviet Inter-cosmos missions, as well as through building and operating a number of national satellites. By parallel co-operation with the national decision makers, building networks with international partners and developing space business activities in ESA and elsewhere, CSA shall decisively contribute to the Czech Republic becoming a strong and valued partner of ESA and ESA member state industries.