State Secretary Martina Hirayama and Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the ESA, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on 17 May. This is aimed at establishing a European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre at the PSI in Villigen. The new Center of Excellence will play a coordinating role between universities and industry across Europe.
According to a State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, material research, data management and processing, quantum technologies and sustainable space ecosystems are planned to be among the first thematic platforms. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher emphasized that the unique large-scale infrastructures at PSI and space competences within the ETH Domain make Villigen an ideal place to establish the ESDI.
An in-depth implementation concept for the Center of Excellence can now be elaborated. Once the ESA Council at ministerial level approves the necessary funds in November 2022, the first projects can be engaged in 2023.
