Prof. Bernard Foing, CEO of LUNEX EuroMoonMars, explains it to us in the first podcast episode dedicated to the new EuroSpaceHub project
We are excited to kick off the first episode of a podcast series dedicated to EuroSpaceHub with a very inspiring conversation between Prof. Bernard Foing – CEO Foundation Lunex-EuroMoonMars, chair IAF ITACCUS, Prof. Leiden University / EPFL and former ESA – and the host Jara Pascual – founder and CEO of Collabwith. Read on if you are interested in the topics of Space, Innovation, Young Entrepreneurs and proactive Collaboration to bring new ideas and creativity to life!
Prof. Foing has a decade-long career in aerospace behind him. He spent years working at the European Space Agency, where he coordinated numerous international projects, dealing not only with research and the development of new technologies and instruments, but also with the managerial aspect of large teams of researchers to produce innovative outputs. His career is indeed marked with breakthroughs and professional achievements. It was driven, above all, by a great passion for Space, curiosity about discovery and eagerness to collaborate with people. His personal and professional story can inspire the new Space Generation who approaches this complex industry, which is so rich in professional opportunities and growth for young talents.
My first step in Space was when I was a teenager. I used to observe stars at night with my friends. I wanted to become an astronomer, but also a diplomat, so I tried to do both.
– Prof. Bernard Foing
Prof. Foing’s profile is eclectic. He blends technical and scientific knowledge as a researcher with strong managerial and coordination skills as well as with a proactive collaborative approach. This is why his contribution is extremely valuable in the context of the EuroSpaceHub project. The vision is clear: training young people to become Space entrepreneurs requires cross-cutting and diverse skills. There is a need to shape a specific mindset and to train these young entrepreneurs by mixing interdisciplinary skills. In this podcast episode, Prof. Foing insists on this aspect: it is not enough to have new ideas to develop technologies and do scientific research. Today, the mindset has changed and we need to have a broader perspective: young researchers are also entrepreneurs within an ecosystem of collaboration with academia, universities, companies and independent organizations. This collaborative effort must be turned into concrete results that benefit society as a whole, thus generating new jobs in the aerospace sector and giving new employment opportunities to young people.
What can you expect from this episode of the podcast? Jara Pascual breaks the ice with some questions about the early days of Prof. Foing’s career. In the first part of the podcast you will hear an account of the major steps that led Prof. Foing to assume increasingly leadership roles in the Space sector, which culminated in his appointment as Principal Project Scientist of the SMART-1 project at ESA, the first European mission to the Moon. Next, the conversation turns to a wider topic: current challenges in the aerospace sector. The second half of the podcast focuses on the EuroSpaceHub project. Prof. Foing explains how his organization, LUNEX EuroMoonMars, will contribute to the project; he delves into his personal meaning of innovation and explains his vision of collaboration to produce innovative results in aerospace.
Enjoy!
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What will you learn from this conversation?
1. You will achieve greater professional results if you start from your own passion and dreams
2. Collaboration between Research and Entrepreneurship holds potential to push innovation to new frontiers
3. We are called to work together to shape a new kind of entrepreneurial mindset for the new Space Gen. It is necessary to train young professionals with multidisciplinary skills to help them cope with the complex aerospace world
4. We need minds capable of merging technical and scientific knowledge with expertise related to entrepreneurship, management, human relations, as well as creative thinking
5. A collaborative approach between universities and companies will contribute to the creation of new positions and professional opportunities for young people in the aerospace industry
This podcast is edited by Alejandra Nettel, Original Music by Sandra Loewe and Direction by Jara Pascual.
EuroSpaceHub is founded by VilniusTech, International Space University, Complutense University of Madrid, Collabwith, Lunex Foundations and funded by the EIT HEI Initiative lead by EIT Manufacturing & EIT Raw Materials.