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Irish businesses to be "at the frontier of new space technologies" after signing at European Space Agency - Taoiseach
Jan Warner, Director General, European Space Agency; Taoiseach Enda Kenny; Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland at the ESA today
Taoiseach Enda Kenny today visited the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, Netherland as part of his trade and investment mission to the Netherlands and Germany. Find out more about the mission here.
As part of the visit, Enterprise Ireland has signed an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a Space Business Incubation Centre in Ireland (ESA BIC Ireland).
The Space business incubator has the objective of supporting 25 start-up companies in space related technologies over the next 5 years. There are currently over 45 Irish companies working with ESA in the development of highly innovative technologies for the global market in space systems and space related services and applications.
Speaking at ESTEC, the Taoiseach said:
This partnership between the European Space Agency and Enterprise Ireland will mean that Irish businesses and their innovators will be at the frontier of new space technologies. Ireland already has a proud record of building up a cluster of space technology companies and this new space incubator will take advantage of Government investment in research infrastructure in Ireland, the extensive network of technical facilities and expertise of the ESA, as well as the business development resources of Enterprise Ireland. I am proud of the Irish companies here today who are representing our country in the evolution of the space industry.
Enterprise Ireland client companies who participated in the Trade and Investment Mission visit to ESTEC included Arralis, Curtis Wright, Enbio, Radisens Diagnostics and Treemetrics.
You can find more information about today's signing at the Enterprise Ireland website here.