Christian Hauglie-Hanssen is one of the candidates for the position as Director General of the European Space Agency.
In 2021 ESA will appoint a new Director General. The organization is therefore seeking a new person for the position, and one of the candidates is Christian Hauglie-Hanssen, the Director General of the Norwegian Space Agency. The Norwegian government fully supports his candidacy.
“ESA is, and will continue to be, central to the development of Europe’s activities in space, and we are pleased that Christian Hauglie-Hanssen is making himself available for ESA, says Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, Iselin Nybø,” in a press release.
Hauglie-Hanssen has a strong knowledge of international space activities, the aviation and the defense sector, and the cooperation between ESA and the EU. Prior to his position at the Norwegian Space Agency he led the Space & Surveillance division at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, as well as other parts of the Kongsberg Group.
“Hauglie-Hanssen has extensive experience with handling complex issues in areas where industry and political priorities intersect, and will contribute to balancing differing considerations and find constructive solutions to the best of the organization,” Nybø says.
“ESA is the main engine in the further development of Europe’s activities in space. The major changes we currently see in the space sector will continue and all actors, including ESA, will have to adapt to the new reality. Leading ESA will mean carrying out the programs that the member states have agreed upon, while taking into consideration the individual needs and ambitions of the member states – all in a rapidly changing market. The further development of the cooperation with the EU, European industry and other important actors, will be central. These are the large and important tasks for the Director General, and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to compete for this position,” says Mr. Hauglie-Hanssen.
ESA is an intergovernmental organization of 22 member states that is tasked with developing Europe’s activities in space. ESA is an industry focused organization where most of the activities are carried out by the industrial sector of the member states. ESA is central to the development of the Norwegian activities in space. Norway has been a member of ESA since 1987.
