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

This week: ESA Phi-Lab Ireland doubles funding opportunities with its February call - Irish manufacturers now have two annual shots at €400,000 grants for space-grade hardware development. France pushes a "Buy European Act" that could accelerate demand for Irish firms supplying to ESA programmes. UCD and Maynooth publish research on bacteria in space, targeting crop cultivation for Moon and Mars missions. Plus: 40+ roles open at Irish space companies including Mbryonics, Réaltra, and InnaLabs, with 100+ European jobs open to Irish passport holders.

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ESA Phi-Lab Ireland opens its second funding round in February, marking a shift to twice-yearly calls that doubles the opportunities available to Irish manufacturers.

The move to two annual cycles reflects demand from the first round and accelerates the programme's aim to establish Ireland as Europe's centre for space-optimised hardware development.

The February call runs along the same lines as the inaugural round: grants up to €400,000 for projects running 24 months.

Irish Manufacturing Research and the AMBER Centre at Trinity College Dublin, which operate the programme from facilities in Mullingar and Dublin, will again focus on advanced materials research, additive manufacturing, structural analysis and simulation, and smart materials integration.

The programme deliberately targets two distinct groups. Existing space sector companies can access funding to advance their position in the market or bring space technologies to broader applications. Companies with no space heritage but relevant manufacturing or materials capabilities are equally welcome. Phi-Lab Ireland aims to convert terrestrial expertise into space-grade products.

Ireland's established strengths in medtech, pharmaceutical, and ICT manufacturing provide the foundation. A key feature of the programme is access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure at both IMR and AMBER facilities, expert mentorship, training programmes, and networking opportunities across the European space sector.

The support covers the entire development cycle from materials discovery through to scaled production of components designed for space conditions.

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

France’s space minister has called for the European Union to stop buying off-the-shelf components from outside Europe, in a move that could open doors for Irish companies already making parts for satellites and rockets.

Philippe Baptiste told a Brussels conference this week that Europe needs a "Buy European Act" requiring autonomous access to space without what he termed American "kill switches" - the ability of US export controls to block European operations relying on American components under Washington’s ITAR legislation.

The proposal comes as 116+ Irish companies now work on European Space Agency programmes, up from roughly 30 a decade ago.

Many already make the components Baptiste wants Europe to source domestically: Réaltra supplies video telemetry for ESA's Ariane 6 rocket, ÉireComposites produces satellite composite materials, and Ubotica provides AI systems allowing satellites to process data onboard.

Irish firms secured €24 million in ESA contracts last year, more than double 2023's €9.9 million. Ireland has committed over €170 million to ESA programmes through 2030.

"The global landscape has shifted dramatically, and our primary ally has become quite unpredictable," Baptiste said, referencing recent US tariff threats.

What This Means for Irish Suppliers:

Europe lags behind in low-earth orbit satellites essential for real-time defence. Baptiste said Europe must build ITAR-free constellations - satellite systems without components subject to US arms export regulations - and warned against individual member states building separate systems.

Germany backed the approach. “Time is of the essence,” Baptiste said at the conference, which was attended by space ministers from across Europe.

Whether all 27 EU members align behind common space policy remains uncertain. The EU has historically struggled to get member states to coordinate on defence procurement. Collaborative purchasing has been running around 11-20%, well below the 35% target set years ago.

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🚀 Researchers from UCD and Maynooth, working with Glasgow through NASA’s GeneLab, published findings on how bacteria communities behave in space. The work could help keep astronauts healthy and grow crops on long Moon/Mars missions. Space changes how these microbial communities form and respond to stress, particularly around plant roots.

🚀 Rocket Lab's Neutron hit a setback when a fuel tank ruptured during pressure testing. The rupture will delay the launch schedule, though Rocket Lab has not specified the extent of the delay. No significant damage occurred to the test structure or facilities, and production of the next Stage 1 tank was already underway. The company plans to provide an update in a February earnings call.

Feb 6 (NET): NASA - Artemis II - Kennedy Space Center Florida. First crewed lunar mission since 1972, validates life support systems research (see UCD/Maynooth biofilm work above)

Feb 12 (NET): Ariane 6 (A64) – Amazon Kuiper sats – Kourou, French Guiana. Feb 12 (NET): Ariane 6 (A64) – Amazon Leo satellites – Kourou, French Guiana. First flight of Ariane 64; Réaltra's video telemetry system will provide live footage of this high-profile 20-tonne mission

“Spaceflight can reveal new biology under unfamiliar stress, and those insights can tell us a lot about how life might survive in space but also inform approaches for health and agriculture on Earth” - UCD’s Professor Nicholas Brereton on biofilm research applications.

“The world has drastically changed and our main ally has become highly unpredictable. We need European constellations with no American kill switch” - Philippe Baptiste, France’s Space Minister, on the sidelines of the European Space Conference.

“We are no longer discussing autonomy as something nice to have. It is an urgent necessity for Europe” - Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, pushing ‘resilience’ message.

Next week: Is the government close to announcing a new National Space Strategy?

SpaceTech Ireland tracks funding, contracts, and careers in Ireland's €24M+ space economy - delivered weekly.

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