4CON can supply commercialisation assessments of space activities that up to now have only succeeded in the telecommunications and launchers areas. Other areas such as earth observation/remote sensing, navigation and life and physical sciences research and applications have seen only limited degrees of commercialisation of their activities. In earth observation/remote sensing some products (images, radar data, etc.) are marketed commercially but not at rates able to cover the full costs of satellite development and operations. In the navigation area the primary operational global system i.e. GPS, although used by civilian users, was developed and is ultimately operated by the US military for strategic military purposes.

The recently agreed GALILEO satellite navigation project between ESA, the EC and industry represents a European step in the direction of European autonomy. In the micro-gravity research area the Microgravity Applications Projects (MAPs) of ESA are moving towards the point where industry will share some of the costs. As a result of increasing political pressure, space agencies, government ministries in the larger European countries and even some commercial companies now need to start consultancy activities to assess the possibilities and hopefully get a foot in the door of future commercial activities in space. 4CON offers unique expertise in the space commercialisation area with its broad range of expertise in the space area.