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Programme aims to increase competitiveness of Spanish aerospace industry
Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities has allocated €70 million to boosting the country’s space technology sector, using support from the EU’s Covid-19 recovery fund.
The ministry launched a funding call on 15 May for its Space Technology Programme, which is co-managed by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology and the Spanish Space Agency.
It wants to give €30m to projects to develop new products, processes or services to improve the production capacity of space systems, in particular those related to the delivery of satellites into orbit.
The remaining €40m will be allocated to projects to improve existing space technologies, focusing on those with “high disruptive potential”.
Projects must involve consortia of two to six companies, of which at least one must be a small company.
Science minister Diana Morant said the government was supporting space technology due to the opportunities it presents for pursuing new opportunities and securing the country’s autonomy.
The call is part of a scheme called PERTE Aerospace, which is a public-private partnership intended to invest €4.53 billion in space technologies in Spain over 2021-25, with help from the EU Covid fund. The ultimate aim is for the Spanish space industry to become a “key player” in the sector, according to the European Commission’s webpage on the scheme.