The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have launched a new innovation center located at Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare. The aim is to apply Swiss high-tech and deep-tech developments for ESA’s space research, as well as in various industrial sectors.
In late October, ESA and PSI signed a partnership agreement to establish ESDI, which is now based at Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare, adjacent to PSI. This agreement also introduced ESDI’s first platform, the Phi-Lab. Affiliated with PSI, Phi-Lab is designed to drive forward interdisciplinary innovation by developing tools and initiatives that support groundbreaking research.
Jennifer Wadsworth, Head of the Phi-Lab, explains, “The mission of the Phi-Lab is to establish research programs that foster and financially support new and innovative projects in Switzerland.” The first of these support programs is set to launch in 2025. For this, Phi-Lab will initially seek technological developments in two specific areas: quantum and data sciences on the one hand, and materials research on the other.
Although ESDI is formally a part of ESA, the Phi-Lab operates under PSI’s structure. In practice, Johann Richard (Head of ESDI) and Jennifer Wadsworth collaborate closely, sharing offices at Park Innovaare. ESDI and the Phi-Lab represent the latest step in a growing partnership that began with a cooperation agreement between ESA and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI) in May 2022. This agreement tasked PSI with developing concrete plans for collaboration with ESA. Initial funding for ESDI comes from SERI, and from 2025, the ETH Domain—which includes PSI—will provide financial support.
*Press release : German
*Image: Jennifer Wadsworth, Head of Phi-Lab, and Johann Richard, Head of ESDI, celebrating the launch of the European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI).