A centre to innovate the design and manufacture of space hardware has today opened in Vienna...
A centre to innovate the design and manufacture of space hardware has today opened in Vienna.
Driving commercialisation in space, it is the first of its kind of ESA-backed disruptive innovation centres outside ESA's own premises.
Work at the centre will focus on accelerating the development of manufacturing for space, including the rapid prototyping of new materials, propulsion systems and making spacecraft and satellites.
Austrian companies will be able to join the Austrian 'Phi-Lab', along with European partners that can demonstrate that they are bringing value to Austria, as well as universities, institutes and research centres.
They will be joined by consultants Enspace and Vienna Airport, which is providing office space.
ESA will work closely with Phi-Lab Austria to establish the operations of the centre, to select the first projects and to link those projects with relevant ESA expertise.
The labs will complement ESA's networks of business incubation centres and technology brokers which support companies along their commercialisation journey from initial ideas to customer acquisition.
There is one such centre in Austria spread over three locations - Graz, Lower Austria and Salzburg - which currently hosts 17 small companies.
The efforts form part of ESA's ScaleUp programme, which provides comprehensive commercialisation support to transform great ideas into reality through innovation and investment.
Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA, said: "During my time as Director of Earth observation at ESA, I introduced the Phi-Lab concept to commercialise space by accelerating the use of Earth observation data through transformational and disruptive innovations. With the opening of Phi-Lab Austria, we will expand this concept to all areas of space, bringing together key players with different areas of expertise, backgrounds and communities. ESA wishes this new space innovation centre in Austria lots of success, drive and creative inspiration."