Hungary should further strengthen its relationship with the European Space Agency (ESA), Scientific and Technology Minister Zoltán Tanács said on Wednesday, arguing that ESA membership represents not only a scientific partnership but also a significant economic and technological opportunity for the country.
The minister made the remarks in a social media post following ESA’s publication of the most detailed visible-light image ever captured of the central region of the Milky Way. The image was produced by ESA’s Euclid Space Telescope, which mapped more than 60 million stars in just 26 hours through a mosaic composed of nine connected sky regions.
According to Tanács, the achievement demonstrates why ESA remains indispensable for Europe. He noted that the technical, scientific and financial scale of such missions would exceed the capabilities of most European countries acting alone.
‘ESA combines the research capacity, engineering expertise, industrial competencies and financial resources of its member states,’ he said. ‘As a result, Europe can remain an independent, world-class player in space exploration rather than relying on the technologies of other major powers.’
The minister stressed that Hungary’s ESA membership should be viewed as both a scientific and an economic asset. Although Hungary became a full member of ESA in 2015, its cooperation with the organisation stretches back much further.
He highlighted Hungary’s long-standing expertise in space research, space medicine, radiation measurement, onboard electronics, instrumentation and software development, as well as Earth observation data processing.
Participation in ESA programmes provides access to some of the world’s most complex technological projects, Tanács said. Hungarian research institutes and businesses can acquire valuable expertise, quality assurance experience and international references that can later be applied across multiple sectors.
He noted that innovations developed for the space industry frequently find applications in healthcare, transportation, agriculture, climate protection, telecommunications, disaster management and security policy.
For this reason, Hungary must deepen its engagement with ESA, the minister argued.
‘It is not enough simply to pay the annual membership contribution, which currently amounts to around HUF 9 billion,’ he wrote. ‘We must ensure that more Hungarian companies, universities and research institutes participate in ESA projects, consortia and supplier networks.’
A central issue is increasing Hungary’s ‘georeturn’ rate, the proportion of ESA contracts and projects awarded back to domestic organizations relative to the country’s contribution. Tanács noted that Hungary’s current georeturn remains below the levels achieved by the most advanced European countries, where it often exceeds 90 per cent.
ESA’s operating model is designed to ensure that member states receive industrial and technological contracts broadly proportional to their financial contributions. Hungary’s objective, he said, should be to maximize the share of its ESA contribution that returns to the national economy through contracts, research projects and technological developments secured by Hungarian organizations.
To achieve this, the minister called for coordinated action involving the government, scientific institutions and private industry. He proposed stronger support for Hungarian companies preparing ESA applications, closer cooperation between universities, research institutes and businesses, targeted development of internationally competitive technologies, assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises entering European space supply chains, and a more active Hungarian presence in ESA programme development and decision-making processes.
‘The goal is not simply for Hungary to participate in European space exploration,’ Tanács said. ‘We should strive to ensure that Hungarian engineers, researchers and technology companies undertake increasingly high-value tasks, develop their own products and intellectual property, and become long-term key players in the European space sector.’
He added that Euclid’s latest image illustrates both the vast scale of the universe and the power of European cooperation. The mission generated data on more than 60 million stars in a single day, potentially providing a foundation for decades of future research.
‘This is the power of science,’ he wrote. ‘ESA’s role is to transform that power into a shared European achievement. Hungary’s interest is not merely to be present, but to create ever greater scientific, technological and economic value through its participation.’
Related articles:
At a time when public debate is increasingly polarized and superficial, Hungarian Conservative remains committed to depth, intellectual honesty, and independent conservative thought.
Producing high-quality journalism requires resources. Your contribution helps us expand our coverage, reach new audiences, and keep our content accessible.
Please consider supporting our mission.
