Dübendorf/Houston - A major private aerospace company in the shape of Starlab Space is establishing a presence at the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich. The partners behind this joint venture, Airbus, Voyager, Mitsubishi and MDA Space, are focused on the construction and operation of a commercial space station. This is expected to take over from the ISS after 2030.

The Greater Zurich Area is to become a European hub for commercial aerospace: the joint venture Starlab Space, headquartered in Houston in the US state of Texas, will establish a presence at the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich. According to a press release, the relevant Memorandum of Understanding was signed on December 9 between Starlab Space GmbH (which is in the process of being founded), the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich Foundation and the newly established Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Starlab Space is a joint venture between Airbus, Voyager Space, MDA Space and the Mitsubishi Corporation. It is building the private, industry-driven Starlab space station. After the planned decommissioning of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030, Starlab is not only intended to ensure a seamless continuation of research activities, but also to open up Low Earth Orbit to private companies. Under zero gravity conditions, it will be possible to develop higher quality products such as semiconductors and fiber optics, as well as medicines, human tissue from stem cells for transplants or tumor organoids for precision medicine.

According to the information, Starlab Switzerland could focus on areas such as biotechnology, biomedicine and pharmacology and set up a center for the development and organization of payloads. The company’s plans also envisage additional new sites in Japan and Germany.

In terms of the reasons as to why Starlab has decided to move to Innovation Park Zurich, the statement highlights access to an airfield, vast areas for the necessary infrastructure and strong research partners such as the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. The establishment of the Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein, also based in the Innovation Park, and a strong economic performance in general in the Canton of Zurich and the Greater Zurich Area reportedly were also important pull factors in Starlab’s decision. ce/mm

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