Insider Brief:
- The European Space Agency has launched a new centre aimed at innovating space hardware design and manufacture in Vienna.
- Named the Austrian ‘Phi-Lab‘, the centre will welcome Austrian companies, European partners adding value to Austria, universities, institutes, and research centers.
- A call for ideas will open soon, with the first projects selected for seed funding in June.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced the launch of a new centre aimed at innovating space hardware design and manufacture in Vienna. This centre, the first of its kind outside of the ESA’s premises, aims to accelerate the development of space manufacturing, including rapid prototyping of materials and propulsion systems, as well as spacecraft and satellite production.
Named the Austrian ‘Phi-Lab‘, the centre will welcome Austrian companies, European partners adding value to Austria, universities, institutes, and research centers. Managed by accent, a high-tech incubator for Lower Austria, in collaboration with Brimatech and tecnet-tt, the lab will also include Enspace and Vienna Airport as contributors, providing expertise and office space.
ESA will closely collaborate with Phi-Lab Austria to establish operations, select initial projects, and connect them with relevant ESA expertise. A call for ideas will open soon, with the first projects selected for seed funding in June.
This initiative forms part of ESA’s ScaleUp program, designed to support commercialization and innovation in the space sector. Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA, noted the importance of such centers in accelerating space commercialization, aiming to bring together experts from various backgrounds and communities.
The establishment of Phi-Lab Austria is expected to catalyze similar initiatives across Europe, promoting the exchange of ideas, resources, and knowledge for sustainable commercial space concepts. This initiative complements ESA’s existing networks of business incubation centers and technology brokers, supporting companies from initial ideas to customer acquisition.
Image credit: ESA
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