Johann Richard
Head of the European Space Deep-tech Innovation Centre – ESA
European Space Agency ESA
Villigen, Switzerland
About me
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 an initiative led by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and other stakeholders. ESDI focuses on developing and commercializing deep-tech for space applications by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and leveraging Switzerland's research ecosystem.
ESDI's mission is to bridge the gap between Switzerland's deep-tech capabilities and ESA's technological needs. By nurturing use-inspired research, strategic technology foresight, and community management, ESDI aims to create a recognized and value-adding deep-tech ecosystem that benefits both space and non-space domains.
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