Irish company Pilot Photonics has secured a €1 million contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for “space-proofing” satellite infrastructure.
Pilot Photonics is a spin-out company of Dublin City University (DCU), headquartered in their Glasnevin campus with a team of 25 employees. Enterprise Ireland are shareholders in the company and have invested in their most recent round.
The company develops integrated photonic chips, which use light rather than electrical signals to generate and carry information.
Current satellite systems, which use electronic frequencies, have come under increasing pressure in recent years, due to data-intensive applications including live-streaming, VR usage, and increased numbers working from home following Covid-19, according to the company.
The quantity of satellites orbiting earth has also increased, crowding the frequency bands that exist.
The new contract provides funding for the ‘space-proofing’ of the company’s optical frequency generator units (OFGUs), which will be used in satellite communication systems.
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“This ESA project is about increasing the ruggedness so it can withstand the harsh environment of space,” said Frank Smyth, chief technical officer and co-founder of Pilot Photonics.
“Around one in four people on the planet have no internet access and in many cases satellite communication is the only way to connect them,” he added.
“Compared to the electronic frequency generators that are used on satellites today, our technology can generate higher frequencies with greater flexibility which allows satellite operators to offer more capacity and enhanced services to their customers.”
The announcement comes following the opening of an ESA lab at the Irish Manufacturing Research facility in Mullingar earlier this year, which was set up to develop and test new technology with the potential for use in space.
In 2025, Ireland was one of 23 ESA member states who signed off on the agency’s largest ever funding request, which saw the ESA receive a €22.3 billion package for programmes to be delivered over the next three years.
“This significant ESA contract is further evidence of Ireland’s growing capability in the space economy,” said Barry Jennings, National Delegate to ESA at Enterprise Ireland.
“Pilot Photonics is developing highly specialised technology that addresses a real and urgent need in next-generation satellite infrastructure – and doing so at the frontier of what’s possible in integrated photonics,” he added.
“The Irish Delegation to ESA is committed to supporting companies like Pilot Photonics as Ireland continues to build a strong and distinctive presence in the European space sector.”