The Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) was launched in 2018 to help grow this new economic sector in Luxembourg. Director Marc Serres talks about finance, scaling up and the possibility of a space campus.
How would you summarise the past three years at the LSA?
These past three years have been very intense and very productive as well! It would be difficult to make an exhaustive list of what happened since 2018, but of course it all started with the Space 19+ ESA Council and the definition of the new national action plan, which were both essential key points to drive a coherent and efficient effort at a national and European level.
The Luxembourg Space Agency was founded with the main mission of developing Luxembourg’s space ecosystem. Otherwise, these past years, we have been able to work along several areas of development, including drafting a new national law on space activities, voted on 10 December 2020 by the Chamber of Deputies. This new legislation marked an important milestone in enhancing the Luxembourg legal framework and will further support the growth and diversification of space activities in Luxembourg. It also resulted in the creation of the national registry of space objects, which is available on the LSA’s website.
Since 2018, the agency has been strongly supporting the booming national space ecosystem, through the national LuxIMPULSE programme. The launch of the LSA Data Center, in 2019, has been instrumental in giving companies reliable, fast and intuitive access to data streams from the European Copernicus Earth Observation programme. LSA also played an essential role in positioning the country’s space sector globally, developing international collaboration with other national space agencies, and being actively present on key space events worldwide.
With regards to talent development, the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) in Luxembourg was officially inaugurated in 2018. In 2019, the interdisciplinary space master was launched with the aim of equipping students with essential theoretical, practical, and analytical skills to excel in the fast-paced legal world of a continuously developing field.
On the SpaceResources.lu initiative side, the creation of the European Space Resources Innovation Center (ESRIC), powered by the European Space agency (ESA), the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) was the next logical step for the development of the programme and probably the main highlight of 2020. It has played a key role in further establishing Luxembourg’s leadership in the field of SR on the international stage.
Since 2018, how many new space startups have begun or located activities in the grand duchy?
In 2018, 32 companies and institutions were active in the space industry in Luxembourg. It increased by more than 100% and 70 players are now operating from Luxembourg which is exceptional.
Securing finance to scale up is a challenge for all startups. The long-awaited space fund, Orbital Ventures, has invested in a handful of startups, all of which are located outside of Luxembourg. To what extent is it likely that we will see VCs take an interest in Luxembourg startups in future?
We are being contacted by VCs who are showing interest in Luxembourg startups on a very regular basis. More and more dedicated funding tools, private or public, are also being created to support the development of the space sector. I think we are now in a coming-of-age moment for private capital’s involvement in the space sector and I am very excited to see this developing, on the international stage as well as in Luxembourg.
“I think we are now in a coming-of-age moment for private capital’s involvement in the space sector.”
Marc Serres
Another challenge for scaling up in Luxembourg is finding an appropriate site, post-incubation. To what extent does the LSA think it is feasible to develop a dedicated zone for such activities in the grand duchy?
We are convinced that this is not only feasible but also necessary to further support the development of the space sector: such a site will support the development of startups but also foster exchange and act as a catalyser for innovation. We are working on a project going in that direction with the Ministry of the Economy as I speak, and more information should come in 2022.
Given the challenges outlined above, does the LSA have plans to develop more mechanisms to support the scale-up stage for space tech firms to avoid them moving to places like the US?
A wide range of tools have already been developed to support the space ecosystem, and these are being revised on a regular basis to adapt to the market needs. Aside from the national and European funding opportunities, we have a very close relationship with the ecosystem, and we see that there is a number of reasons for companies to stay in Luxembourg. Among others, the central location of Luxembourg facilitates the access of Luxembourg players to a state-of-the-art network of suppliers and research institutions in Luxembourg and in Europe. Other national initiatives such as the Data Center or the HPC are also very attractive for startups and are playing a key role in anchoring companies in Luxembourg.
In October, the LSA announced the ESRIC startup support programme, offering pre-incubation and incubation and residency with tailored support for up to five years for a space resources startup. What has been the response since then and when can you announce the first projects to benefit?
This is a bit early to say as the first call just closed. However, the launch of the programme has received great interest from the international community as it will play a key role in strengthening the space resources ecosystem and thus lead to the next generation of space resources related business ideas.
In Europe, few space agencies compared with the LSA when it comes to nurturing new space activities. However, that is starting to change. Does the LSA have any new projects in the pipeline that will help distinguish it from other agencies and retain its place as among the top new space beacons in Europe?
We certainly have some new projects in the pipe, that will be part of the national strategy which will be reviewed next year. International cooperation will again be a key point in this strategy. The space sector has much more to gain if national agencies are working together than competing. Challenges are big when it comes to Space, and we all have a role to play if we want to achieve the ambitious objectives the international community has been setting.
We for instance recently signed a new framework of agreement with the CNES, and we are looking forward to working with our French and European counterparts!
This article was first published in the Silicon Luxembourg magazine. Read the full digital version of the magazine on our website, here. You can also choose to receive a hard copy at the office or at home. Subscribe now.
