European Space Agency's program against climate change to be based in Castelldefels

The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to establish its program dedicated to researching solutions to combat climate change and promote sustainability in Castelldefels, just south of Barcelona. The Phi-Lab Spain@Barcelona will begin operations with an initial budget of €13.2 million.

Spain's space agency director, Juan Carlos Cortés, announced the project during the first day of the NewSpace Economy Congress 2024, held in the Catalan capital. This marks the third edition of the summit, promoted by the government and Barcelona's Chamber of Commerce.

Phi-Lab Spain@Barcelona will provide financial aid, support, and access to labs and infrastructure for industry agents and businesses to research and develop innovative practices that can later be commercialized.

The Catalan government will invest around €8 million of the total €13.2 million budget, with the remaining funds provided by the ESA.

The offices will be located in the RDIT building at Castelldefels' Mediterranean Technology Park, where the Catalan Institute of Space Studies is, and the European Space Agency Business Incubation Center in Barcelona (ESA-BIC) used to also be housed.

First Catalan nanosatellite in space

Back when Catalonia launched its first nanosatellite, science writer and educator Joan Anton Català Amigó joined the Filling the Sink team to talk all things space.

At the time, Catalan Digital Policies minister Jordi Puigneró defended the formation of the Catalan Space Agency, Alan Ruiz Terol visited the Montsec Observatory and Astronomical Park in western Catalonia and Dr Carolina Arnau Jimenez told Cristina Tomàs White how the European Space Agency's research at the Autonomous University of Barcelona could pave the way for humans to voyage to Mars in the future.

Listen to our Filling the Sink podcast episode published in March 2021.