ESA Phi-Lab Austria a successful model for Europe's space industry

"With the continuation of ESA Phi-Lab Austria, we are creating long-term prospects for highly innovative space projects from Austria and Europe. At the same time, we are strengthening Lower Austria as a research, technology and business location and consistently expanding the Space Hub at Vienna International Airport," emphasizes Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner. "Our goal is clear: research should lead to applications, good ideas to successful products, and this should result in value creation and highly qualified jobs."

ESA Phi-Lab Austria was opened in 2024 as the first ESA Phi-Lab in Europe and has become an important centre for the industrialization of European space technologies within a short time. Four rounds of calls for proposals have brought more than 150 submissions from all over Europe. 13 high-tech projects have been included in the programme so far, and more than 75 new jobs have been created at the site. Three projects – GATE Space, R-Space and Peak Technology – have already successfully completed the programme.

(From left to right: Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf Stephan Pernkopf, Business Development Manager GATE Space Marianne Röchling, Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, COO GATE Space Johannes Pammer, tecnet CEO Doris Agneter, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, accent CEO Michael Moll, Airport Board Member Günther Ofner, CEO GATE Space Fabian Duschel)

"Space technology is part of our everyday lives: in navigation on mobile phones, in weather forecasts and in flood warnings for fire brigades and rescue services. That is why my ministry has invested around 10 million euros in the ESA Phi-Lab Austria. Here, Austrian companies develop precisely this technology and build it themselves instead of buying it expensively abroad. And this has also created more than 75 well-paid jobs. This is taxpayers' money well spent, because in the end everyone benefits from it," emphasizes Federal Minister Peter Hanke.

The focus of the coming years will continue to be on the "Industrialization by Design" approach. Already during the development of new technologies, consideration will be given to how systems can be standardised, modular and produced in small industrial series. The Space Factory, which was opened in 2026, offers development, prototyping and testing infrastructure directly on site, thus complementing the range of services offered by ESA Phi-Lab Austria.

"As an Austrian, I am proud of what is being created here. In the ESA Phi-Labs, research, companies and investors come together so that good ideas become real technologies and new business. This is exactly what Europe must now be able to do better: not only develop ideas but also bring them to market faster and let them grow. Austria shows how it can be done. And with the continuation until 2031, we can build on exactly that," says Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The energy at the location is also reflected in the growing number of companies and projects. Ten space companies are now based at the Space Hub. With ORION-AI and IP-MASS, further projects are coming directly to Vienna-Schwechat Airport. ORION-AI from LeoTrek AI and R-Space is developing a standardized platform for AI-based data processing directly on board satellites. IP-MASS from Horizon Microtechnologies and Fraunhofer Austria combines 3D printing and metallization for lightweight, automated and more cost-effective shielding housings. The "Tempus Porta" industrial alliance is to bundle the competencies of GATE Space and TTTech in the future with the aim to develop and build complete satellite platforms in Austria in the future.

"Space research puts our country at the forefront and creates not only new knowledge, but also very concrete solutions for the challenges of our time. Technologies that are developed for space today will be used in our everyday lives tomorrow. With the ESA Phi-Lab Austria and the Space Hub in Schwechat, we are strengthening Lower Austria as an international location for future technologies and at the same time contributing to Europe's technological independence," says Stephan Pernkopf, Deputy Minister of Science.

"New technologies and an efficient infrastructure are prerequisites for attracting investment, creating high-quality jobs and further developing Austria as a location for innovation. The Space Hub at Vienna International Airport is a successful example of this. International accessibility, modern infrastructure and proximity to other innovative companies create synergies and clear locational advantages. The continuation of ESA Phi-Lab Austria provides additional traction and will enable new settlements. We are prepared for this growth: With the new Office Park 4 NEXT, we are already creating additional office capacity and thus space for the further expansion of AirportCity," adds Günther Ofner, Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien.

Austrian Space Days 2026: Around 600 participants

The first Austrian Space Days, hosted by Brimatech and accent, provided the framework for the announcement of the continuation of ESA Phi-Lab Austria. Around 600 participants from space industry, research, business and the start-up scene made the event a great success. Under the motto "Industrialization by Design", international experts discussed how space technology is evolving from a strongly research-driven sector to a scalable industry with new production methods, platform architectures and business models. The Austrian Space Days bring together research, industry and entrepreneurship in one central European platform.

Due to the great success, the Austrian Space Days will take place again in 2027.

"The great response shows that we have hit a nerve with this format. The Austrian Space Days bring together exactly those people who are needed for successful innovation: science, companies, start-ups and international partners. These contacts are intended to give rise to cooperations and concrete projects. We are therefore very pleased that we will continue the Austrian Space Days next year," emphasise the representatives of the participating institutions.

With the ESA Phi-Lab Austria, the Space Factory, the growing Space Hub and the Austrian Space Days, Vienna-Schwechat Airport is establishing itself as an increasingly internationally visible centre for space technology. The location now covers the entire development chain – from project development, financing, intellectual property rights and market analyses to prototype production, integration and testing. The aim of the coming years is to attract further innovative projects and companies to Lower Austria, to bring technologies to market maturity more quickly and thus to contribute to Europe's technological sovereignty and competitiveness.