By By Mike mike
Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and AMBER, the Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research, have officially launched the European Space Agency (ESA) Phi-Lab Ireland 鈥 a pioneering six-year programme designed to drive innovation in space technologies within companies in Ireland. Ireland, as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and materials science, will address the thematic area of space-optimised hardware.
Phi-Lab Ireland will fund cutting-edge research across the entire life-cycle from materials discovery and testing, to the scaled production of components optimised for the unique and challenging environment of space. Benefiting from the combined capabilities of two of Ireland鈥檚 leading research organisations, Phi-Lab Ireland will also offer access to expert mentorship and training programmes, state-of-the-art research infrastructure, comprehensive networking opportunities, and significant seed funding for projects up to 24-months.
Phi-Lab Ireland鈥檚 first funding call for research project proposals from Irish companies seeking to grow in Ireland鈥檚 developing space ecosystem is now open. Unique to Phi-Lab Ireland, projects are welcome from companies who in the past may have never considered their products for the space sector, and also current space-active companies seeking to advance their position in this market and/or bring their innovations to larger terrestrial markets.
Commenting on the launch of Phi-Lab Ireland鈥檚 first funding call, Dr. Ken Horan, Director of Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IMR and Head of ESA Phi-Lab Ireland, said: 鈥淓SA Phi-Lab Ireland is a unique opportunity for Irish SMEs, start-ups, and researchers to become leaders in space-focused innovation. Today the Space sector offers opportunities akin to those presented by the MedTech sector a few decades ago and before that, ICT manufacturing. These have become cornerstones of the Irish economy. We want to see Ireland equivalently recognised as a global leader in the Space sector and are building a national competence centre to advance this ambition.鈥
Professor Mick Morris, Director of the AMBER Centre, added: 鈥淎MBER are delighted to partner with IMR to support Irish industry and researchers in exploring new commercial opportunities in the space sector. This activity will build on our strong foundation in supporting research in materials science important to the Irish and European economy. To date, we have built a partner portfolio of over 50 companies and managed over 100 collaborative projects. Together with IMR we span the full life cycle from material discovery and development through material validation to generative design and the development of the high-volume manufacturing processes necessary for next generation space-bound hardware whilst maximising and improving the sustainability of those processes.鈥
Phi-Lab Ireland is the newest addition to an expanding pan-European network of locally hosted and administered Phi-Labs (Phi-Lab NET), each addressing a regionally important thematic area. Phi-Lab NET is being developed by the European Space Agency to accelerate innovation in the rapidly growing space sector, to ensure future competitiveness at both European and regional levels.
Speaking on Ireland鈥檚 addition to ESA Phi-Lab NET, Evelyn Kerschbaumer, Commercial Officer at the European Space Agency, said: 鈥淎s part of the ScaleUp Programme under the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness, the European Space Agency (ESA) is establishing a dynamic network of ESA Phi-Labs across Europe. We are pleased to welcome the Irish Phi-Lab to this expanding network. The launch of the Phi-Lab Ireland is a testimonial to ESA鈥檚 and Ireland鈥檚 joint commitment to push innovation in space technologies and drive economic growth. Phi-Lab Ireland will enable Irish companies to generate innovation, unlock new markets and commercial opportunities, making tomorrow鈥檚 technologies available for today鈥檚 world.鈥
Key research areas targeted by this funding call include Advanced Materials Research, Additive Manufacturing, Structural Analysis and Simulation, and Integration of Smart Materials.
Speaking on behalf of Enterprise Ireland, Conor Sheehan, Irish Delegation to ESA, said: 鈥淧hi-Lab Ireland marks an exciting new chapter for Ireland鈥檚 space sector. It will foster a vibrant hub for advanced manufacturing and materials innovation, supporting Irish industry to both enter and lead in the fast-growing global space market. By bridging world-class research with commercial opportunity, this initiative strengthens Ireland鈥檚 contribution to the wider ESA ecosystem and supports our ambition to build a globally recognised space economy.鈥
A major event to inaugurate ESA Phi-Lab Ireland at IMR in Mullingar is planned for late 2025.
Companies interested in applying to ESA Phi-Lab Ireland鈥檚 first funding call can do so by visiting www.esaphilab.ie.