A centre for innovation that will showcase how space can enable future generations of telecommunications and connected applications is being developed.

The Hub – based at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications at Harwell in the UK – is a place for collaboration, where industry will take advantage of the immense potential of converged satellite and terrestrial communications networks to create innovative applications that benefit society and the environment.

ESA’s ambition is to extend the Hub’s technology to cover businesses at the Harwell Campus, and then across Europe and beyond to connect with other research facilities, fostering innovation in ESA’s member states and globally.  

Developed with information technology company CGI, the centre will provide a converged satellite and 5G terrestrial network. Using this future 5G environment and state-of-the-art equipment, businesses from many industries will partner with ESA to test and develop innovative applications.

It will also bring together innovators from across the 5G ecosystem – including satellite and terrestrial network operators, equipment providers, and application developers – to create 5G solutions.

The Hub forms part of ESA’s wider efforts to use space technology to enable connectivity.