Starlab Space—a joint venture between Airbus, Voyager Space, Mitsubishi Corporation, and MDA Space—marks the arrival of a major industry partner at Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich. Today, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Zurich between the partners Starlab Space GmbH (in the process of being established), the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich Foundation, and the newly established Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The access to an airfield, large areas available for necessary infrastructure, strong research partners such as the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, the newly established Center for Space and Aviation based at Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich (SIP Zurich), and Zurich’s status as an innovative economic hub convinced Starlab that SIP Zurich is the ideal partner.
With the planned decommissioning of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030, Starlab aims to ensure a seamless continuation of research and scientific activities in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Additionally, it seeks to open Low Earth Orbit to private enterprises, enabling the development of high-quality products and applications that benefit from the unique conditions of microgravity. These include semiconductors, fiber optics, and biomedical products such as medications, human tissue from stem cells for transplants, or tumor organoids for precision medicine.
With the Memorandum of Understanding signed today, Monday, Starlab Space plans to commence business activities at Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich. At SIP Zurich, Starlab could establish and operate a Payload Operations & Control Center, a Center of Excellence for payload development and operations, as well as additional ground segments of Starlab focused on biotechnology, biomedicine and pharmaceuticals. This aims to create the foundation for an ecosystem in which space experts, researchers, scientists, established industries, innovative start-ups, and spin-offs work closely together in direct exchange. This collaboration could position the Greater Zurich area, along with its industrial and research partners, as the European hub of the global Starlab network. Additional Starlab locations include the George Washington Carver Science Park in Ohio, USA, with further sites in Japan and Germany under consideration.