October 2015
VIP-Delegation Visit to HPS
On September 30th, HPS welcomed a VVIP-delegation of German and Bavarian space policy at its HQ-premises in Munich. Dr. Gerd Gruppe, head of space management and member of the executive board of DLR was accompanied by DLR´s head of SME-policy, Uwe Soltau, and Bernd Buchenberger, Senior Manager space and aerospace at the Bavarian ministry of economy.
Munich as well as Berlin pay special attention to the sector of space-SME, since SME are expected to serve as pacemakers in the first front of technological innovation. In this respect, space-tech expert HPS is especially in focus, since the company is the only German SME with a subsidiary in Europe representing today the long vacant position of the „M“ in space-SME. In addition, its managing director and owner Dr. Ernst Pfeiffer acts towards politics and business as spokesman of all German space SME organized in the AKRK-Committee.
Accordingly, the delegation was especially interested in the company´s new ready-to-market products – innovations which play a vital role in the German space agency´s new „component initiative“ – as well as in first hand information about important aspects of international cooperation like between HPS Germany and its subsidiary HPS Lda., Portugal.
Dr. Gruppe personally pushes the German „component initiative“ with high priority in the firm belief that the German space industry urgently needs to define its own answers to challenges arising from the advent of completely new players like Google on the hitherto „closed shop market“ of space technology. According to Gruppe, „components“ form the central element: small, serially produced, very cost effective, and innovative units which more than ever before allow space to become an integrative and pacemaking part of daily life in business and society.
Together with HPS shareholder Sigrid Klett, former co-owner of the Munich based space company Kayser-Threde, Ernst Pfeiffer introduced the latest HPS-developments, like
- the rapid deployable ground antenna URDA for high-rate data transmissions; the antenna can be carried and operated even offroad by just one person
- an innovation with highest potential for serial production with a spectrum of target customers ranging from TV-correspondents to civil safety and military security personnel
- the Ka-band Dual Gridded Reflector developed by HPS for very stringent mass requirements
- the Q/V-band Feeder Link Top Deck Antenna as a component of future telecom satellites
- the 1.6-m antenna reflector for Ka- and Q/V-band applications – an innovation supported by DLR
- gold plated tungston meshes for large deployable antennas, developed in cooperation with companies and universities in the Bavarian „textile triangle“
- the HPS-development of serially manufactured electronic boxes based on CFRP.
Peter Rauhut, CFO and also co-owner of HPS finally presented the full picture of the business situation of the enterprise growing at high speed since its foundation 15 years ago. In particular, he outlined the enormously positive growth impulses generated by the successful MLI-production of the Portugese subsidiary.
Ernst Pfeiffer outlined the importance of combining a top-quality serial production in Portugal at prices unparalleled with continuous development of new products in Germany in order to win and keep the support of banks accompanying the company´s growth even at fast pace. He also stressed the fact that the obviously strong support by politics in Bavaria and Berlin serves as yet another important cornerstone of trust towards HPS in the financial sector. There is enough room for yet further growth through innovations that lead to serially manufactured products, as an example Pfeiffer hinted at a soon upcoming development of GTO-satellite antennas for the transmission of Galileo-data.
Impressed by the dynamics, the technology and the company culture at HPS the delegation agreed to arrange for successive meetings on yet more detailled subjects in the near future.
