EUR 166m Horizon Europe funding to boost innovation in space
Space - Photo by Pixabay
(BRUSSELS) - A total of EUR 166 million is being awarded under the EU's Horizon Europe research programme to support 54 space research projects, the European Commission announced on Friday.
The awards, the results of the 2022–2023 calls for proposals for space-related research projects under Horizon Europe, will be implemented by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and the EU Space Programme Agency (EUSPA).
The selected projects are expected to bring breakthrough innovations and contribute to strengthening both the European Union Space programme and other space research priorities in various domains, from Earth observation to European Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS), secure telecommunications and autonomous access to space. These projects cover a wide scope of applications, from greenhouse gas and aerosol monitoring to coastal and crops observation, and also address in-orbit needs and space science.
The EU executive says the selection will boost the EU's competitiveness and technological autonomy and lead to the development of new services and downstream applications for Copernicus, Galileo, European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), and European Union Governmental Satellite Communications programme (GOVSATCOM).
The industrial consortia behind these 54 projects involve a large proportion of New Space companies, as start-ups and SMEs represent around 25% of the selected participants, receiving nearly 30% of the allocated funding.
Space-related projects are expected to receive close to €1.6 billion in total during the seven years of the implementation of Horizon Europe, corresponding to an average of €225 million per year, including activities delegated to the European Space Agency (ESA).