PAVING THE WAY TO SPACE AT THE SWITZERLAND INNOVATION PARK ZURICH - CENTER FOR SPACE AND AVIATION SWITZERLAND AND LIECHTENSTEIN (CSA)

The Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein (CSA) is a federal non-profit foundation, under the strategic direction of the Zurich cantonal government's decision on Space as a cantonal flagship, aims to advance the New Space Economy through a unified approach.

The Center represents a broad coalition in complementary research, teaching, innovation, and utilization areas of already established institutions in German-speaking Switzerland and Liechtenstein. This has overcome the fragmentation of the space sector and united the space areas under one roof in a common structure for national and international academic and industrial cooperation. Dübendorf and its Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich define a physical and virtual hub for a variety of technology sectors and supporting ecosystems, whereby the airfield system enables economic bridges and trade routes between Europe and the USA for the New Space Economy.

With direct access to controlled airspace, flight operations infrastructure, and proximity to leading academic institutions, CSA offers its members a comprehensive environment for experimental flight campaigns, unmanned aerial system testing, and in-orbit technology validation.

With tremendous research and development experience, the center combines the expertise and infrastructures of high-ranking universities and research institutions, a civil research flight facility, flight and space operations facilities. CSA members cover a wide technological range, life sciences, Earth observation, material sciences, energy, AI, robotics and aviation. It sets standards across Europe in cooperation between science and industry. 

The CSA integrates the following institutions as partners:

• Innovation Cluster Space and Aviation, University of Zurich (UZH Space Hub)
• Center for Aviation and Space Competence, University of St. Gallen (CFAC-HSG)
• National Center for Biomedical Research in Space, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (NCBRS-HSLU)
• Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
• Swiss SkyLab Foundation as a Civil Research Flight Facility at Dübendorf Airfield
• Air Force Center
• Aeromedical Institute of the Swiss Air Force (FAI)
• The Space Affairs Department of the National Administration of the Principality of Liechtenstein
• Private University in the Principality of Liechtenstein (UFL)
• Canton of Zurich, Department for Economic Affairs

Thanks to its location at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the center has been globally positioned from the very beginning. With its infrastructure and expertise, the center was a decisive factor in the planned creating of an European Hub structure for Starlab Space and for Space Florida, the State of Floridas aerospace finance and development authority, an important step towards establishing the Space Valley. These partnerships strengthen Switzerland’s and Liechtenstein’s integration into global space station programs and transatlantic innovation projects.

Through its activities, CSA supports the positioning of Switzerland and Liechtenstein as globally competitive locations for advanced aerospace R&D, commercial space operations, and emerging markets within the evolving New Space economy.