Space industry is booming! Celebrated for a year of ESA Phi-Lab in Schwechat

Space industry is booming! Celebrated for a year of ESA Phi-Lab in Schwechat

Schwechat, Österreich - On June 23, 2025, Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and governor Deputy Stephan Pernkopf looked back on one year of ESA Phi-Lab Austria in Schwechat. This innovation center was founded a year ago at Vienna Airport and has already established itself as a significant location for space economy in Lower Austria. Mikl-Leitner underlined how important space management is for economic growth and the creation of jobs in the region. The ESA Phi-Lab Austria is not only the first location of this kind outside of the ESA, but is also at the forefront of technological developments in European space travel.

The Phi-Lab was launched with a budget of 11.2 million euros for the first four years, with a clear goal: the creation of a "space hub" for upstream technologies. Here space companies are to be supported to promote prototype and product development in order to shorten the time until space technologies are used in everyday life. Of the five sponsored programs that are supported with 2.5 million euros, four take place in Lower Austria, which further strengthens the local economy.

focus on innovation and partnerships

Attention to the innovative approaches of the Phi-Lab is also aimed at cooperation between industry, universities and agencies. ESA General Director Josef Aschbacher emphasized that the facility is an excellence center for upstream technologies and has already recorded the first settlements of companies such as Enpulsion, the specialist for ion drives. "This location is becoming increasingly important for sustainable space projects," says Mikl-Leitner.

For the future, there are already plans for expansion, including a funding call over 1.5 million euros for at least five other programs. By supporting up to 300,000 euros per project, it will enable new ideas to quickly convert into practical solutions that can serve both industry and society.

growth of space economy

The data on the growth of the industry are promising. The space economy market is expected to grow from currently 500 billion euros to EUR 1.8 trillion, with an annual increase of around ten percent, as Aschbacher reported. In the past ten years, around nine million euros have been invested in space economy in the region, which has led to the creation of around 1,500 jobs.

Access to comprehensive resources to support companies, including operational management, protection of intellectual property and market launch, is provided by the Phi Lab. Austrian companies and research institutions have the opportunity to take part in the annual selection processes for project teams, in which grants are awarded between 200,000 and 500,000 euros.

Overall, the ESA Phi-Lab Austria fits into a larger concept that has already been initiated in Italy with a focus on straw observation data and is now being extended to other areas of space technology. Everyone involved is given the chance to stand at the head of this dynamic and growing industry.

For more information about the initiatives and the concept of the Phi-Lab, visit the official website of the ESA phi-lab , which offers a comprehensive overview of the current programs and future plans.

Details on the financial aspects and the possibilities for interested companies can be read on the website of Austria in space , while a balance of the first year of the lab is noe.gv.at