ESA boosts commercial space at Paris Air Show
Supporting the commercialisation of space is a priority for the European Space Agency (ESA) as demonstrated at the 55th edition of the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport from 19–22 June.
ESA joined the French space agency CNES and the aerospace industry in the newly established ‘Paris Space Hub’ intended as a centre for companies to showcase their technologies, collaborate, and do business. In a hall covering 2500 m2 with exhibitors from 48 countries including 300 startups from 21 countries from the aerospace and space sectors, there was ample opportunity for industry to network and share information.
This year, ESA presented its Strategy 2040, its Technology roadmap and a range of commercialisation initiatives to boost Europe’s growth and competitiveness in the space domain.
Panel discussion highlights importance of international collaboration
In panel discussions, ‘Launchpad to the World: Scaling European Space Innovation’ with Philip Thomas, Head of ESA’s Scaleup Division, industry and international partners shared their thoughts on the importance of international collaboration as well as some of the barriers which entrepreneurs face in their transition to the marketplace.
Panelists included Gregory Pradels, Special advisor, CNES; Nicolette Yeo, General Manager at Singapore Space & Technology Think Tank; Hidetaka Aoki, Space Port Japan; Eliza Drazniece, Head of Paris Office, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia; and Kevin Rutankabandi, Space Programme Manager at Wheere.
ESA Business incubation startups pitch their ideas
ESA Business Incubation Centres (BIC) located all over Europe support the development and commercialisation of entrepreneurial space technology and services. Specifically in France, there are two centres catering to the needs of mainland startups – ESA BIC Nord France hosted by Technopôle Brest-Iroise and ESA BIC Sud France, hosted by Aerospace Valley in Toulouse.
At the event, five startups pitched to the public from the ESA Stage to present their highly innovative ideas. These were: a medical sensor for astronauts – OneTreck; cloud computing in space – Coros Space; a bridge monitoring system – e-Onsight; neuromorphic edge computing – Neurobus; and fully robotic space stations – Alatyr (formerly Astrolab).
The public included representatives of other space agencies and technology experts at ESA. After the pitches, CNES and ESA brokered introductions of these startups to alumni presenting at Le Bourget such as SpaceLocker and RIDE! Space. The companies have now established more connections and hope to improve their products through collaborations.
ESA's Investor Network
ESA, in collaboration with the French space agency, CNES, held an investor forum – The After. At the event, 36 startups including seven Asian startups (from Singapore and Japan) pitched their space-based products or services to a global investor audience. More than 200 participants attended, of which over 50 were investors. Find out more about ESA’s Investor Network which now has more than 70 members and continues to grow.
The NewSpace journey – Three stories of collaboration
ESA’s commercialisation initiatives are enabling European space ventures to grow and thrive. In this session three companies: Space Cargo Unlimited, RIDE! Space, and Infinite Orbits described their path from early innovation to market traction:
- Space Cargo Unlimited uses ESA’s Marketplace to unlock commercial opportunities for microgravity-based research.
- RIDE! Space highlighted its success through the PUSH competition, aligning with the recent launch of the 2025 call aimed at edge computing and digital twin environments.
- Infinite Orbits described how its participation in the ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) (Sud France) supported its journey from concept to operational in-orbit services.
ESA is committed to supporting European space industry collaboration, space innovation, and bold ambition to drive global impact, sustainable growth, and a thriving space future. The Paris Air Show illustrated ways in which ESA does this.
Further information on the full range of ESA commercialisation initiatives, including ScaleUp, ESA PhiLab, ESA Business Incubation Centres and ESA Technology Brokers can be found on ESA's Commercialisation Gateway website.
The final days of the Paris Air Show were open to the public.
