Johann Richard
Head of the European Space Deep-tech Innovation Centre – ESA
European Space Agency ESA
Villigen, Switzerland
About
Johann Richard is the Head of the European Space Deep-tech Innovation Centre (ESDI) at the European Space Agency (ESA). In this role, he leads the development of research programs that connect breakthrough research with commercialization opportunities. Currently, Johann is collaborating with a team from the Paul Scherrer Institute to launch a program focused on quantum technologies and data management.
Before joining ESA, Johann was part of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), where he worked on industrial policy, technology strategy, and business incubation within the Swiss Delegation to ESA. His academic background includes Physical Electronics, Innovation Management, and Public Governance and Administration. Johann's career spans startups, industry, public administration, and international organizations, with experience in technology, IT, consulting, policy, and strategy.
My organisation
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the exploration of space. With 22 member states and 3 cooperating countries, ESA's mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
The European Space Deep-tech Innovation Centre (ESDI) is a competence centre in Switzerland under the leadership of ESA, implemented in cooperation with the Paul Scherer Institute (PSI). ESDI promotes use-inspired collaborative research in areas such as materials, quantum, data, and sustainability. It aims to drive space-focused deep-tech research through thematic calls, benefiting ESA and its member states.
Speaker sessions (1)
Monday, 23 September 2024
11:25 - 11:50
Overview of Quantum Sensing ecosystem : European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI) for Quantum applications
Johann Richard, ESA - Jennifer Wadsworth, Paul Scherrer Institut