ESA Phi-Lab run in collaboration with the Amber Centre at Trinity College Dublin
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Pictured: Ruth Mackey, Mbryonics; Aubrey Dunne, Ubotica; Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke; Dietmar Pilz and Philip Thomas, ESA; and Barry Kennedy, IMR
Government, industry leaders, technology experts, regional stakeholders, and leading Irish and European Space players attended the official opening of the ESA Phi-Lab at Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) in Mullingar.
The facility, run in collaboration with the Amber Centre at Trinity College Dublin is to be national platform for space technology development, anchoring the country’s ambitions within Europe’s space economy.
The move forms part of a wider national commitment to the European Space Agency, with the Dept of Enterprise, Tourism & Employment committing €170 million in investment to ESA over the next five years.
ESA Phi-Lab Ireland is part of the ESA’s Phi-Lab initiative, whose mission is to bring research closer to commercialisation by bridging disruptive research and commercial needs. In direct response to needs coming from the commercial world, the Phi-Lab Network matures technologies in advanced manufacturing, materials discovery, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and robotics.
Speaking at the launch today, Barry Kennedy, CEO of IMR, said: “This facility positions Ireland at the forefront of European space-enabled innovation, where advanced manufacturing, AI and data-driven technologies can be developed, tested and commercialised for global impact. Ultimately, this is about translating world-class research into real economic and societal value.”
The first supported companies by ESA Phi-Lab Ireland – Mbryonics and Ubotica Technologies – both having been selected from a highly-competitive open call last year.
A second open call opening for entries in the next few months will welcome projects from both space-active companies and companies that in the past have never considered their products for the space sector, with expert support provided during the entire application stage.
Commenting on the importance of funding technology development and advanced manufacturing, the Director of Technology at ESA, and Head of the European Space Research and Technology Centre, Dietmar Pilz, said: “ESA Phi-Lab in Ireland is a powerful example of how Europe is strengthening its technology by bringing cutting-edge research closer to industrial applications. With ESA Phi‑Lab Ireland, ESA is investing in the technologies that will elevate the future of Europe’s space sector, strengthening industrial competitiveness while ensuring that innovation for space delivers value far beyond it. It reinforces ESA’s commitment to fostering excellence across its member states and to ensuring that innovation developed for space delivers real benefits for industry, society and Europe’s long‑term competitiveness.”
Philip Thomas, head of the ScaleUp Programme division in ESA’s commercialisation, industry and competitiveness directorate, said: “Through being part of the ScaleUp Phi-Lab network, the ESA Phi-Lab in Ireland is able to help companies in Ireland and across Europe to reach their full commercial potential by providing targeted and relevant support for their most innovative proposals.”
Since the publication of Ireland’s National Space Strategy for Enterprise in 2019, there are now 120 space-active companies working with ESA in Ireland.
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