ESA Celebrates 50 Years in Spain with the Signature of 9 NAVISP Contracts

Last Updated: 05/11/2025 11:00     Created at: 05/11/2025 09:23

October 16, 2025, at ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain - The European Space Agency (ESA) marked its 50th anniversary with a landmark celebration, highlighting decades of scientific excellence and international collaboration. Following several announcements by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, and Diana Morant, Spanish Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, ESA reinforced its commitment to innovation and industrial growth with the signature of 13 contracts with industry , nine (9) of them under the Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP) Element 2, aimed to strengthen industrial competitiveness.

These contracts, co-funded by ESA and industry with a total value exceeding €10 million, aim to boost Spain’s competitiveness in the Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) sector. The selected projects span diverse applications—from rocket launchers and drone-related technologies to critical infrastructure monitoring and cybersecurity—demonstrating the strategic importance of PNT across industries.

“We are proud to sign contracts with both large and well-established Spanish companies as well as SME's that have consistently demonstrated excellence, dating back to the origins of satellite navigation in Europe” said Rafael Lucas, Head of ESA’s NAVISP Programme. “It is also encouraging to see companies whose core business traditionally lay outside PNT now embracing this technology as a strategic opportunity to enhance their competitiveness.”

The contracts were awarded following a joint call for proposals by ESA and the Spanish Space Agency (Agencia Espacial Española, AEE), reflecting a strong partnership and shared vision for the future of European navigation technologies. Cecilia Hernández Rodríguez, AEE’s Director of Programmes and Industry, praised the collaboration: “The Spanish Space Agency made a great effort last year by launching a call for proposals for ESA’s NAVISP programme. This collaboration has had an excellent impact on participants, both in terms of a solid technical evaluation and a significant reduction of the time-to-contract”

Spain has been a key contributor to NAVISP since its inception in 2016 and continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of European PNT through its industrial capability. The newly signed contracts further solidify Spain’s position as a hub for cutting-edge navigation technologies and open doors for expansion into global markets.

The companies represented at the signing ceremony were GMV, Indra-Deimos, Sener Aeroespacial, PLD Space, INTEGRASYS, Inster Technología y Comunicaciones, PILDO Labs, and Sateliot, showcasing the breadth of expertise and innovation within Spain’s space sector.

ESA’s 50th anniversary celebration in Spain not only honored the past but also laid the groundwork for a resilient and technologically advanced future in PNT.