Partner Region
Region Norrbotten, Sweden
The north of Sweden has been attracting space ventures since 1957. At the center of this booming industry stands Esrange, the world’s most versatile space center. The services include sounding rockets, stratospheric balloons, engine testing, testing of new reusable rockets and satellite operations. The next step will be to launch satellites into orbit. The region also offers space programs and cutting edge research via Luleå University of Technology (LTU), Institute for Space Physics (IRF) and EISCAT. A number of SME with innovative space technology is growing within the Northern Sweden Space eco system. Region Norrbotten is the leading region for S3P Space.
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
The aerospace industry is an important economic sector for the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. An essential characteristic of Baden-Wuerttemberg as business location is the excellent research infrastructure, a highly-specialised industry of equipment providers and a dense network of productive manufacturers and suppliers. Besides the motor vehicle construction and the mechanical engineering industry, other sectors of major relevance include the electrical engineering, measurement technology and plastics processing as well as the information and communication technology.
Bavaria, Germany
The objective of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy is to open up opportunities for the future of our citizens. It focuses on maintaining Bavaria’s competitive edge as a business location, strengthening Bavaria’s economic performance, supporting start-ups and creating attractive employment opportunities.
Bavaria is an internationally important space location with a long tradition in research and industry covering the entire space value chain. The highly competitive space industry includes players from the SME sector, a steadily growing start-up scene and large system integrators such as Airbus and OHB, as well as numerous established research institutions. Future goals of the Bavarian State Government are to strengthen the core competencies of Bavarian space players, to create and expand mutual and enhanced synergies between the space and non-space sectors, and to continuously network Bavaria as a space location with other regions in Europe, especially with focus on test and launching facilities.
Bremen, Germany
In Bremen, the space industries and aeronautics sector plays a major role in the innovation ecosystem.
Bremen has a special interest in the following topics: Launch facility, Testing, Rocket & Integration, Payload Integration and Launching Operations.
Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, represented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Europe, as responsible department for innovation and regional policy, will promote the Partnership allowing the channeling of this initiative among the most relevant actors at regional level, and encourage
interregional collaborations aimed at mobilising the capacities of the different regional actors participating in innovative initiatives related to space around Europe.
Mazovia, Poland
The space sector is one of the most advanced and innovative sectors that is increasingly important to the economy and society. For Poland, things began a long time ago in the modern space era. During the celebrated space race, Poland joined the Soviet Union’s efforts and cooperated with Roscosmos. Bold research initiatives, and even human space flight efforts were developed. Joining ESA in later decades meant that Poland needed industry, and not only research centers. In 2013, it was estimated that around 80 Polish companies boasted space capabilities. Since then, much has changed, and numerous international companies including Sener, Airbus, and GMV have invested in Poland and established research offices here. The Polish space strategy is ambitious.
Tuscany, Italy
Many companies and research Institutes in Tuscany have been active in the field of aerospace technology for years with National and International customers (ASI, ENAV, ESA, EUFP, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, MIUR, MISE and more) The space sector is mainly in the fields of Telecommunications and navigation, Earth/Space Observation, Radio frequency and Microwave technologies.
Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
Over 80% of all space activities in the Netherlands take place within the Province of Zuid-Holland: the technical heart of the European Space Agency, ESTEC - European Space Research and Technology Centre - is located in Noordwijk, the country’s largest space company is Airbus Defence & Space in Leiden and Europe’s leading faculty of Aerospace Engineering is part of the University of Technology in Delft. NL Space Campus is currently being developed as the European hot spot for space activities with facilities including offices, a fab lab and labs & testing areas. In the region, vibrant commercial clusters exist around SmallSats, Free Space Optics and Earth Observation.
A thriving Composites cluster, including research centres for both digital and large-part manufacturing, provide high end materials for the aerospace and space industries. The region is home to the complete chain of academic research & knowledge, first, second and third tier suppliers and end users. Some 25 organizations and institutes and over 75 companies are actively working in Zuid-Holland’s space cluster, making it one of the most complete and dynamic space ecosystems in Europe
Western Region, Sweden
When the huge Saturn V rocket was ready to launch on Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969 to lift Apollo 11 against many, it was not only the lunar lander pilot Buzz Aldrin who had a Swedish origin - the cameras used by the astronauts had been delivered by Hasselblad in Gothenburg. Today, 3D printing of high-strength metal alloys with the help of laser sintering is one of the cutting-edge competencies available in the Västra Götaland region. There is also the Onsala Space Observatory, which was founded as early as 1949 and is a world leader in sensitive microwave antennas, plus a number of companies in mobile connection, data, signal and image processing. The companies in the West Swedish space cluster have recently contributed solutions to the planned James Webb telescope, delivered technology to Elon Musk's SpaceX and the worldwide satellite project OneWeb.
Region Western Greece
The Region of Western Greece has a small, but dynamic grouping of SMEs working on space topics/projects funded by the European Space Agency, EU Horizon and other sponsors. Key to space developments and projects in the region is its local academic partner, the University of Patras with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, which has Greece’s most significant space R&D activities on space including the development of small satellites (launched UPSAT in 2017), developing space structures, rocket tanks and composite structures for space applications. Corallia, Greece’s largest space cluster has also a local regional office in the region thus connecting all space commercial, industrial activities.
Region Centru in Romania
Aerospace Industry is a priority in RIS3 Centru and Romania is home to several companies with a strong expertise in the aerospace manufacturing and maintenance sector.
