New €26m Framework Agreement for European Space Resources Innovation Centre

On Friday 13 September 2024, on the occasion of the visit of the Minister of Research and Higher Education, Stéphanie Obertin, and the Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, to the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) which hosts the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC), a new framework agreement between the Government of Luxembourg and LIST, covering the operation of ESRIC until 2029, was signed.

Launched in 2016, the SpaceResources.lu initiative aimed to establish an attractive and coherent framework for the development of activities in the field of the use of space resources. In recent years, stimulated by this Luxembourg initiative, the international landscape has changed significantly and many players are now interested in this field, which continues to progress rapidly.

In this context, Luxembourg joined forces with the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2020 to announce the creation in Luxembourg of ESRIC as the European Space Resources Innovation Centre. This new framework agreement guarantees the financing of ESRIC's activities until 2029, thanks to a new envelope of €26 million, which will allow it to develop its activities around the research and development of key technologies, support for economic activities and community management.

While this budget will be jointly allocated by the Ministry of Economy and LIST, through annual grants, ESRIC is an integral part of the Luxembourg space ecosystem, promoted and supported by the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA). As such, the implementation of the agreement will be ensured by the LSA, whose expertise will enable the monitoring of the collaboration with ESA. As a key partner in the project, ESA, which provides technical and commercial support to the business incubator dedicated to space resources, will provide facilities in the future to enable the development of ESRIC's research activities. This development will also be made possible thanks to funding from the National Research Fund.

Minister Delles commented: "ESRIC has built a solid reputation as a reference centre for space resources, unique in Europe. The new framework agreement allows it to approach the coming years with confidence, with the guarantee of LSA's support for its implementation. Research and innovation in the field of space resources is a key axis to make the European space sector stronger and more competitive and ESRIC plays a key role in this context. I am proud that Luxembourg is hosting this unique centre.”

Minister Obertin stated: “I am delighted that ESRIC, thanks to its implementation as a department of LIST, is now an integral part of the Luxembourg public research landscape. With this new framework contract, ESRIC’s activities will make it possible to better connect research with the transfer of knowledge to the public and private sectors, with positive spin-offs for the Luxembourg economy and society.”

Dirk Fransaer, CEO a.i. of LIST, was delighted, and said: “LIST is pleased to continue supporting the Luxembourg government and the LSA in the further development of ESRIC in Luxembourg. ESRIC has grown rapidly and has well-equipped laboratory spaces on our premises to carry out its research activities. Our teams will continue to offer all their expertise so that the centre can continue its growth and reach a hundred employees by 2029, thus contributing to making Luxembourg shine as a European reference in the space resources sector."

"The development of ESRIC's activities, both in the fields of research and support for startups, has definitively placed it on the map of the space resources scene. Its expertise is recognized internationally, and the role it plays in mobilizing experts from around the world around this theme is crucial. This new framework agreement will make it possible to capitalize on the developments of recent years, and to continue to make ESRIC a Luxembourg figurehead for space resources," said Mathias Link, Deputy CEO of the Luxembourg Space Agency.

“ESRIC is made possible by the shared vision and will of different stakeholders from the worlds of research, economy and space. Luxembourg’s continued growth in this field is tangible proof of ESRIC’s impact and we are committed to advancing the field of space resources in the years to come,” concluded Kathryn Hadler, Director of ESRIC.