Over the years, European space industries have gained great expertise in building, launching, and communicating with satellites. From this experience, many valuable products and services have been developed that improve our daily lives.

To give a few examples: the small explosive charge that activates the airbag in our cars stems from those used to separate a launcher's propulsion stages; baby's pyjamas based on the technology in an astronaut's training suit help prevent cot deaths.

ESA has set up a programme to stimulate the spin-off of space technologies. The Technology Transfer Programme makes European space technologies available for licensing or further development.

A network of technology brokers across Europe and Canada scout the space world and identify technologies with a potential for non-space applications. They then market the technology and provide assistance in the transfer process.

The results since 1991: more than 150 million Euro of extra revenue for the companies involved, a figure set to rise to 1 billion Euro by 2004, some 1000 jobs created or saved, more than 20 new companies established and 130 successful transfers.

MST Aerospace, leader of the ESA network of technology brokers, will be presenting over a thousand new space technologies at the Hanover Fair. The display at the ESA/MST stand will include:

• The solar racing car Nuna, winner of the "World Solar Challenge", a 3010 km race across Australia from Darwin to Adelaide.
• A carbon-fibre space house, combining efficient and environment-friendly installations for energy and water with an earthquake-resistant structure.
• GTS (global transmission services) from the International Space Station, for functions such as worldwide synchronisation of wrist watches or immobilisation of stolen vehicles.