On 17 December 2020 a new Director General of ESA was elected by the ESA Council, meeting in restricted session. I have taken stock of the situation and especially the fact that my successor, Director for Earth Observation Josef Aschbacher, is already inside ESA. According to the decision of that Restricted Council, the official take-up of duty of Mr Aschbacher will occur not later than 1 July 2021. Together with the Chair of Council I have discussed a number of points, and in particular:

  • The unique situation arising from the fact that the Director General-Elect is already an ESA Director;
  • The duration of the transition and its consequences internally and externally;
  • The period until the ESA Council at ministerial level in 2022;
  • The outstanding negotiations with the EU on the FFPA[1].

I indicated, in advance of the opening of the position of Director General, my readiness to leave the position as early as the Member States deemed appropriate in the light of the situation after the election of the new Director General.

Based on these various considerations the Chair decided, together with me, to propose to the ESA Council an official take-up of duty by the new Director General on 1 March 2021. The period until that date will be used to secure a smooth transition.

I anticipate that I am about to experience a very abrupt change in my life: in 1995 I went from being a professor of civil engineering to the post of President of the Technische Universität Darmstadt and ever since have been working directly under government hierarchies: first, in Germany, under 10 German Ministers and since 2015 under many ESA Ministers , from our now 22 Member States, 2 Associate Member States and Canada.

On 28 February I will probably leave the post of Director General of ESA and return to my professional background in civil engineering. I will look back on my time as Director General of ESA with great fondness. As I’ve said before, I consider it to be the most extraordinary job and a real privilege to be able to do it. But also, ESA is a very special organisation filled with a great many brilliant and highly dedicated people. People who, together with our Member States and industry, have consistently over many years achieved many great things. Of course, I will miss it.

How best to summarise my work these last 25 years at the helm of public organisations. Of course, I could pore over the record: a success here, a failure there. But, I prefer to quote the great Frank Sinatra and just leave it at this: “I did it my way”.

[1] Financial Framework Partnership Agreement