On 29 October 2020 IEL Director Professor Martin Trybus was sworn in as Member of the Procurement Review Board of the European Space Agency (ESA).
This happened during the online ESA Council meeting and after the represented Member States had unanimously approved his appointment. The ESA is organised as an international governmental organisation in which not only most Member States of the EU participate but also Switzerland and Canada. ESA is separate from but cooperates with the EU. Their tasks include space exploration and satellites, involving large value and high-technology procurement. An aggrieved bidder can launch an appeal against a procurement award decision of ESA at the ESA Procurement Review Board after unsuccessful complaints first to the relevant project management and then to the Director General of ESA. The now six Members of the Board sit at the ESA headquarters in Paris.
Professor Trybus has been appointed for a term of three years with the option to extend his appointment for another three-year term. Professor Trybus had served on the ESA Procurement Review Board for two terms from 2010 to 2016 after it had first been established."