Greece is attempting to take the next major step in its space presence: from a country that utilizes satellite data, to a country that designs and manufactures space systems.
Recently, ICEYE announced that it plans to create a large satellite manufacturing production unit in Greece. The announcement comes at a time when the country is shaping, for the first time, a comprehensive national strategy for Space.
The investment provides for the creation of a satellite mass-production factory with the capacity to manufacture up to 150 satellites per year, facilities of more than 5,000 square meters, and more than 250 highly specialized jobs.
The unit, if implemented according to the plan, will constitute ICEYE’s largest production base worldwide and one of the most important satellite manufacturing facilities in Europe.
“We want to establish in Greece a major hub of production, research and development, and innovation for the global space industry”, says to ANA-MPA the head of ICEYE in Greece, Vasilis Chaloulakos.
The choice of Greece is not only about the country’s geographical position, but is also linked to the new space strategy presented by the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, in the presence of the prime minister, within the framework of the program “Greece in Orbit – Greece in Orbit”.
During the presentation, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that few could have imagined in 2019 that today Greece would have satellites in Space, a dynamic ecosystem of businesses in the field of space technologies, and secured funding amounting to 350 million euros through the Recovery Fund for the development of the next actions over the next four years.
The new national program “HELLAS-SPACE 2.0”, amounting to approximately 350 million euros, constitutes the second phase of Greek space policy and aims to turn space technologies into applications with direct benefit for everyday life: from monitoring fires and floods to maritime surveillance, precision agriculture, border security, and secure communications.
During the presentation of the program, the Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, stressed that the country is moving into a new phase.
“In recent years we built very important infrastructure with the first national microsatellite program. We put Greece into orbit. Today we are taking the next big step. We are moving from the creation of infrastructure to real, sustainable national capabilities”, he characteristically stated.
ICEYE’s new investment fits precisely into this transition: the creation of Greek production capacity in the field of Space. The company already has a presence in Greece through the national microsatellite program, having participated in the development and launch of the first Greek satellites using SAR technology (synthetic aperture radar).
The unit will not simply be an assembly space. It is expected to have production lines, testing infrastructure, research laboratories, and know-how for critical satellite subsystems, creating a new ecosystem around aerospace technology.
“It is an integrated industrial unit with a capacity of hundreds of satellites per year, which will also host research activities for the next space technologies that we will produce in Greece for the company’s global fleet, creating significant added value for the Greek economy”, notes Vasilis Chaloulakos.
For the government, the objective is to retain added value in the country and develop a Greek industrial base.
“There is also a second equally important goal: for the Greek Space industry to take off as well. We want to see you become champions in Europe, but also exporting technology and products on a global level”, Mr. Papastergiou stated.
As the minister underlined, the new strategy concerns not only technology but also the economy and human resources. “It is not only a technology program. It is an investment in people. Highly specialized jobs, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, universities and research centers, and Greece as a European hub of the space industry”, he said.
The investment is expected to create positions for space systems engineers, electronics and radar specialists, data scientists, artificial intelligence researchers, as well as specialized personnel for the production and control of satellite systems.
“Our goal is to increase synergies with Greek universities, startups as well as more mature Greek companies in order to strengthen the national character of our effort. At the same time, we aspire to grow our workforce to several hundred, significantly strengthening the domestic labor market and helping the return to Greece of several talented Greeks living abroad”, points out the head of ICEYE in Greece.
At the same time, the new national program also includes the education of the next generation. Through the Panhellenic Student Space Program, middle and high school students will have the opportunity to design and build small satellites.
“We are building a new, more modern and fairer state, we support Greek innovation, we bring our people back, and we inspire an entire generation to dream high. As high as the human spirit can reach”, noted Dimitris Papastergiou.
The challenge now is for Greece not to be limited to the consumption of space services, but to acquire the role of producer. With the new program and the creation of industrial infrastructure, the country is attempting to claim a place on the European map of the new space economy.
“Finally, we have a vision to make ICEYE Hellas the hub that will export all this technology to Europe and the rest of the world. And of course the hub from which we will operate more directly in the wider neighborhood of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans”, concludes Vasilis Chaloulakos.
SOURCE: ANA