Bernhard Hufenbach, Head of the Strategic Planning Office in the Directorate of Human Spaceflight and Operations, welcomed the first ESA consolidated strategy for space exploration. This strategy sets a clear strategic framework for space exploration and enables ESA to look now for partners with novel ideas. Partnership proposals coming from the private sector will help implement the strategy and stimulate economic growth. The partnership idea should be in scope with the ESA strategy for space exploration and a good understanding of it is essential to finalise and submit a partnership idea by May 26 2015. Bernhard Hufenbach stressed that the Call for ideas represents an opportunity for Europe to find its own way for opening opportunities for private sector initiatives in the field of space exploration. He compared it to the on-going commercial activities started by NASA more than ten years ago, such as the successful commercial cargo resupply to the International Space Station (ISS).