Through the 2026 open call, IMR will be joined by a new delivery partner, the South Eastern Applied Materials Research Center at South East Technological University.
Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) has today (12 June) announced the next European Space Agency Phi-Lab Ireland Open Call, inviting Irish companies to better position themselves in the global economy and the European base for the development and production of next-generation space-bound hardware.
ESA Phi-Lab Ireland supports advanced materials research and manufacturing, across the lifecycle of space-ready hardware and Open Call 2026, will be joined by a new delivery partner, the South Eastern Applied Materials (SEAM) Research Center at South East Technological University.
Last year, Open Call 2025 attracted the involvement of many organizations across Ireland’s industrial sectors, with companies such as Mbryonics and Ubotica successfully housed within the Irish Phi-Lab building.
Open Call 2026 will provide ESA innovation seed funding of up to €400,000 for projects under two years, as well as expert mentoring, training, access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure and extensive networking opportunities. Key research areas supported by Open Call 2026 will include advanced materials research, additive manufacturing, structural analysis and simulation and integration of intelligent materials.
Commenting on the launch of Open Call 2026, Dr Ken Horan, director of technology innovation and business at IMR and head of ESA Phi-Lab Ireland, said: “Ireland already has world-class manufacturing and materials capabilities, which was missing from the front door dedicated to the aerospace sector.
“That is exactly what ESA Phi-Lab Ireland offers and as a national platform for the development of space technology, it sits at the center of our national efforts to support companies seeking a role in the global space economy. Open Call 2026 is an open invitation to ambitious Irish companies, whether they have worked in space before or not, to create products and expertise that will define the industry in the next decade of Europe.
Evelyn Kerschbaumer, chief commercial officer at the European Space Agency, said: “The space economy is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, and Europe’s future competitiveness depends on strong bases of innovative companies in all member states.
“With ESA Phi-LabNET we are building that region by region and Ireland’s focus on advanced space computing brings unique strengths to the network. We look forward to seeing Irish companies turn Open Call 2026 into real technology with real global reach”.
In February of 2026, Ireland launched the program The European Space Agency’s first Phi-Lab at IMR in Mullingar, Co Westmeath. The Irish government has committed to investing €170 million in ESA over the next five years and the six-year ESA Phi-Lab program is a key element of that wider national commitment. The consortium is funded by ESA and Enterprise Ireland.
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