Welcome to SpaceTech Ireland — a fast, Ireland-focused read on the space economy.

This week: ESA formally planted its flag in Mullingar with the launch of Phi-Lab Ireland, the agency's first dedicated innovation outpost in the country, and announced a second funding round opening within weeks. UCD unveiled Setanta Space, a new start-up working on autonomous spacecraft operations. Across Europe, three defence-linked deals show where the money is heading, and Brussels has opened Horizon Europe calls worth up to €10 million per project.

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ESA Phi-Lab Ireland was formally launched at Irish Manufacturing Research in Mullingar, in partnership with the AMBER Centre at Trinity College Dublin. It is Ireland's first dedicated ESA innovation outpost. Its job is straightforward: help Irish space-tech companies bridge the gap between research and paying customers.

The lab is part of ESA's ScaleUp/ACCESS programme, a Europe-wide network designed to give promising companies structured support as they move from prototype to commercial contract. It means Irish firms can access expertise and connections across ESA member states, not just at home.

The launch event introduced the first two companies selected for support following a funding call last year: Galway-based Mbryonics, which develops hardware and software for photonic satellite communications, and Dublin-based Ubotica, an Earth observation specialist using AI to improve what satellites can see and understand.

The second open call was announced at the event by Minister for Enterprise, Peter Burke, and is expected to launch within weeks. It will pick up where the first left off, funding research from materials testing and discovery through to components ready for the rigours of space.

The call will be open to established space companies looking to grow their position in the European market, as well as firms that want to apply their existing technologies to space for the first time.

For Irish companies outside the traditional space sector, that second category is deliberately broad: ESA Phi-Lab Ireland wants to hear from companies that may never have considered space as a market. Support will be available throughout the application process, which should lower the barrier for first-timers.

Applications are expected to open within weeks. Companies interested in the coming round should register with IMR or AMBER for advance notice of the call launch. Details will appear at esaphilab.ie.

University College Dublin announced the launch of Setanta Space, a start-up developing technologies that allow spacecraft to operate independently — reacting to problems and managing tasks without waiting for instructions from the ground. The company is already an Enterprise Ireland client, which gives it early access to state funding and support.

The four-person founding team brings solid credentials. Adam Taylor (CEO), James Murphy (CTO) and co-founders Jake O'Brien and Tomas Chester have backgrounds spanning ESA missions, launch vehicle systems and flight-ready software. The company is headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin.

The company’s key positioning is that satellites are generating more data and operating in more complex environments than ever, but the computers running most of them are outdated. Setanta Space is developing modular computing hardware, built to withstand the radiation environment of space, combined with AI software that runs directly onboard.

The goal is a spacecraft that can monitor its own health, detect problems and make decisions in orbit, rather than waiting minutes or hours for instructions from a ground station.

Three recent European deals show how defence money is moving into space, and where Irish companies might find an opening, especially those with dual-use or defence-relevant technology.

SatVu (UK) - £30M The NATO Innovation Fund led a £30 million raise for SatVu, a British company that uses satellites to capture thermal images of the Earth's surface - useful for monitoring infrastructure, industrial sites and security threats. Lockheed Martin and the British Business Bank also participated. For Irish founders working in Earth observation, the deal signals that defence-linked investors will back commercial satellite companies when the pitch emphasises strategic value to Europe rather than pure commercial return.

Deep Space Energy (Latvia) - €930k Riga-based Deep Space Energy has raised €930k in pre-seed funding to develop long-lasting power sources for satellites and lunar missions. The round combines private investment with ESA contracts, NATO's DIANA accelerator programme and national grants. This funding structure is increasingly common for hardware companies that need public support to get expensive technology off the ground before private investors will commit larger sums.

Alpha Impulsion (France/Italy) - €950k The European Commission has awarded €950k to Alpha Impulsion for its autophage rocket engine - a design that consumes part of its own structure as fuel, reducing weight. The award means the company gives up no equity. The Commission has been directing this type of funding at technologies it considers critical to Europe's ability to launch satellites independently, without relying on non-European rockets.

Brussels has opened a fresh round of space grants under Horizon Europe, and several of the 2026 calls are a genuine fit for Irish software developers, data specialists and small hardware companies.

These are grants, not loans or equity deals, under Cluster 4 of the Horizon Europe programme, which covers digital, industry and space. Irish companies can lead or join bids on the same terms as any other European partner. Most of the relevant calls target what is sometimes called the "mid-TRL" range: ie, companies need to be up and running yet don't need a finished product ready to sell. The EU is looking to fund prototypes that can be turned into tested, demonstrated technology.

Here are the three calls that matter most for Irish space-facing companies.

1. Digital building blocks for Earth observation and satellite communications (HORIZON‑CL4‑2026‑SPACE‑03‑31)

This call funds the software and systems that make Earth observation and satellite communications work in practice - onboard data processing, ground station tools, data pipelines, security layers. Grants run from €3 million to €6 million per project, with up to three projects funded. The call opens 10 March 2026 and closes 3 September 2026. It suits companies that write code, build subsystems or deliver digital infrastructure that plugs into EO or satellite missions.

2. Demonstration missions for Earth observation and satellite communications (HORIZON‑CL4‑2026‑SPACE‑03‑32)

Here the Commission wants to fund missions that combine Earth observation and satellite communications to deliver a concrete service: maritime surveillance, agriculture monitoring, climate tracking, disaster response. Grants range from €5 million to €10 million, with up to four projects funded. This sits at a higher technical readiness level than the digital enablers call above, meaning the Commission wants something closer to flight-ready. It is a good fit for Irish companies with hardware concepts, payload ideas or integrated service proposals that need a European consortium to get to the testing stage. Same window: 10 March to 3 September 2026.

3. Scientific analysis and exploitation of space data (HORIZON‑CL4‑2026‑SPACE‑03‑61)

For smaller budgets. Two projects are expected to be funded at €1.5 million to €2.5 million each, for serious analytical work on existing space data from European missions including small satellites and in-orbit demonstrations. The Commission wants better tools, more discoveries and higher-quality data products. Algorithms, cross-mission analysis, machine learning pipelines and user-friendly data archives all fit within scope. This is natural territory for university–SME teams and Irish analytics or AI companies. Same deadline: 3 September 2026.

Enterprise Ireland's Space team and the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) can provide guidance on consortium-building and application support for Horizon Europe space calls.

A note on terminology: TRL stands for Technology Readiness Level, a nine-point scale used by the EU and space agencies to measure how mature a technology is. TRL 1 is a basic concept on paper; TRL 9 is a proven system operating in a real environment. The calls above mostly target TRL 4 to 7 — technology that works in a lab or limited testing environment and needs to be scaled up and validated.

“At Setanta Space, we believe spacecraft need to be smarter. Our goal is to provide the hardware and software foundation that enables true onboard autonomy, from health monitoring and anomaly detection to perception and real-time data processing. We want intelligence to be built into every mission from day one” - James Murphy, founder of new Irish space startup.

“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” - IMR CEO Barry Kennedy at the launch of the new ESA Phi-Lab Ireland facility.

“Through being part of the ScaleUp Phi-LabNET network, the ESA Phi-Lab in Ireland is able to help companies not only in Ireland but also in other participating ESA Member States, reach their full commercial potential by providing targeted and relevant support for their most innovative proposals” - Philip Thomas, Head of the ScaleUp Programme Division in ESA’s Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness Directorate.

PICTURE: Ariane 64 heads to orbit carrying Realtra’s HD video telemetry cameras, designed and built in Dublin.

Next week: more funding, contracts, and careers in Ireland's €24M+ space economy - delivered weekly.

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