At Vienna-Schwechat Airport, it’s no longer just about airplanes. Since 2024, technologies for satellites and spacecraft have also been developed there. It is now confirmed: The ESA Phi-Lab Austria will continue beyond its initial funding period.

For the years 2028 to 2031, the space center will have an additional 9.6 million euros available. This was announced on Wednesday during the first-ever „Austrian Space Days“.

The funding comes from the state of Lower Austria as well as through the European Space Agency ESA. The center aims to contribute to the development of new space technologies and to strengthen Austrian companies in this field.

The ESA Phi-Lab Austria was established in 2024 as a joint project of the European Space Agency, the federal government, and the state of Lower Austria. The location is at Vienna Airport in Schwechat.

While a total of 11.2 million euros was allocated for the first four-year funding period, an additional 9.6 million euros has now been pledged for the period 2028 to 2031.

The new funding consists of two parts: The state of Lower Austria is providing 4.4 million euros. Another 5.2 million euros will flow through the ESA, indirectly from funds of the Austrian Ministry of Infrastructure. This ensures the financial continuation of the space center until 2031.

Since its inception, the ESA Phi-Lab Austria has developed into a site for space technology, according to those responsible.

A total of ten companies from the space sector have been established so far. As a result, 75 new jobs have been created, according to the balance sheet presented at the press conference. There are also initial results in the promotion of technological projects.

In four rounds of tenders, more than 150 projects from Europe were submitted. Of these, 13 were included in the program. Three of these projects have already been successfully completed.

The space center focuses on so-called upstream technologies. These are technologies that are directly needed for space travel. This includes, for example, electronic components, software, and technical systems for satellites or spacecraft. The goal is to develop marketable applications from research results and new ideas.

Lower Austria’s Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) explained at the event that the ESA Phi-Lab was founded precisely for this purpose. With the additionally established „Space Factory,“ prototypes are to be built and tested more intensively in the future.

In addition to the extension of the ESA Phi-Lab, another project was presented. Under the umbrella brand „Space Region Lower Austria,“ several Lower Austrian locations are to work more closely together in the future.

This includes Schwechat, Wiener Neustadt, and Seibersdorf. The respective institutions and companies are to be better networked to advance research, development, and industrial applications.

The new umbrella brand is intended to strengthen Lower Austria’s role within the European space sector.

The development of the space location is also important for Vienna Airport. Airport board member Günther Ofner sees economic potential in the industry.

„We see space technology as a future growth area,“ Ofner explained at the press conference.

With the completion of the construction project „Office Park 4 Next,“ the Office Park 2 is also to be fully available for the further development of space companies in the future. With this, the airport aims to attract technology-oriented companies to the location in addition to its traditional aviation business.

A specific time for this additional land use was not mentioned in the APA report.

The announcement of the new funding was made during the first „Austrian Space Days“. The conference takes place on October 14 and 15, 2026, at the site of the ESA Phi-Labs and the Space Factory.

Around 600 participants are engaged there with the industrialization of space travel and Austria’s role in the European space sector.

ESA Director Josef Aschbacher also attended the event. The space expert from Tyrol pointed out that ten national ESA Phi-Labs have now been established in Europe. Further locations are fundamentally possible, provided that financing and coordination with the respective countries are secured.

With the promised funding for 2028 to 2031, the ESA Phi-Lab Austria can continue its work beyond the first funding period.

The focus is on promoting new space technologies, developing marketable products, and further establishing companies.

Additionally, the Space Factory is intended to facilitate the path from research to an industrially usable prototype.

Whether the new funding period will create additional jobs and how many more companies will settle cannot be quantified at this time.

(APA/Red.)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article .