Last week, Prof. Mariusz Głąbowski, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Dr Julia Gościańska-Łowińska, Head of ESA Phi-Lab Poland, and Dr Marek Kraft, Deputy Head for Research at ESA Phi-Lab Poland, had the opportunity to participate in a significant event for the European commercial space sector. The ESA Phi-Lab Poland team was invited to Mullingar, Ireland, to attend the official opening of ESA Phi-Lab Ireland, held at the state-of-the-art facilities of Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR).

The importance of the event was highlighted by the presence of leading representatives from government and the space sector, including Peter Burke TD, Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Dietmar Pilz, Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality at the European Space Agency (ESA) and Director of the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), as well as Philip Thomas, Director of the ESA ScaleUp Programme. Their speeches conveyed a clear message: the New Space era is already underway, and cross-border collaboration is essential to unlocking its full potential.

One of the key highlights of the visit, alongside the official inauguration of ESA Phi-Lab Ireland, was the ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Irish partners. On behalf of the Polish side, the agreement was signed by Prof. Mariusz Głąbowski, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation.

This is the first agreement of its kind between ESA Phi-Lab centres in Europe, marking an important milestone in the development of a collaborative European network. It demonstrates the shared commitment of the Phi-Lab centres to bridging breakthrough research with its commercial application in the space sector. We look forward with great optimism to building a long-term and fruitful partnership with our Irish colleagues.