Space Innovation

What Space Innovation does

Space Innovation is a Swiss non-profit network organization hosted at EPFL in Lausanne that connects more than forty industrial and academic partners active in the country's space sector. It serves as the convening body between Swiss universities, research institutes, and space-sector companies, providing members with access to a curated network, a portfolio of Swiss test facilities, technology-transfer support, and industry events such as the Annual Meeting, ESMATS, IAC, and Space Tech Expo Europe. The organization's product surface is institutional rather than commercial: a members-only extranet, the annual Members Profiles publication, the interactive Swiss Space Ecosystem mapping platform, MOOCs and workshops (including Claude Nicollier's 'Space Mission Design and Operations'), and outreach programs such as MINT Vaud and 'Elargis tes Horizons' aimed at students and early-career professionals.

The underlying platform is essentially a coordination layer anchored at the EPFL Space Center. Space Innovation sits alongside the eSpace division under the EPFL Space Center umbrella, which was unified in 2023 and placed under Executive Director Emmanuelle David in February 2025. The network's technology footprint is operational (member directory, extranet, mapping platform, event infrastructure) rather than proprietary space hardware; member organizations such as Venturi Space (Artemis lunar rover), ClearSpace (debris removal), and Picterra (satellite-image analysis) are the parties developing space technology, while Space Innovation provides the connective tissue.

Commercially, Space Innovation does not sell products or license IP. Revenue mechanics are membership-based and not publicly disclosed, with the organization sustained by member dues, project-related funding from institutional stakeholders (ESA, SERI/Swiss Space Office, Space Exchange Switzerland), and EPFL's hosting relationship. Customers in effect are members, segmented horizontally into industrial partners and academic institutions, plus students reached through education and outreach. Geographic scope is Switzerland, with growing European-level convening presence through co-organization of symposia but no commercial distribution outside the country.

Name

Space Innovation

Legal name

Space Innovation

Website

https://space-innovation.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Space Innovation is a Lausanne-based Swiss non-profit network hosted at EPFL that connects 40+ industrial and academic space-sector partners, providing members access to test facilities, events, training, and a Swiss space ecosystem platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Industry Network and Ecosystem Services

akta.pro primary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Space industry network
• Space ecosystem platform
• Aerospace collaboration services
• Space test facility access
• Space sector membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Space Innovation operates a Swiss national membership network of over 40 industrial and academic partners active in the space sector, offering members access to expertise, curated test facilities, collaborative projects, an interactive ecosystem platform, an annual Members Profiles publication, and industry events such as the Annual Meeting and co-organized symposia like ESMATS. The organization does not manufacture hardware or sell commercial software products; rather, it functions as a facilitation, networking, and technology-transfer layer hosted at EPFL.

Product overview

Space Innovation operates as a network organization rather than a traditional product company. The organization functions as a constellation of space competencies across Switzerland, connecting over forty industrial and academic member organizations. Core offerings include the Space Innovation Network itself (providing member services, expertise access, and test facility coordination), the Members Profiles publication (showcasing member capabilities), and the Swiss Space Ecosystem Platform (interactive map for exploring the network). Space Innovation does not develop or sell commercial products; instead, it facilitates collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and technology advancement among Swiss space sector entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Space Innovation Network Membership Swiss national membership network connecting over 40 industrial and academic partners in the space sector; provides members with access to expertise, curated test facilities, collaborative opportunities, the members-only extranet, and a shared platform for advancing space technologies and innovation.
• Swiss Space Ecosystem Platform Interactive mapping platform and directory enabling exploration of the Swiss space industry network and member capabilities, allowing users to discover members by competence, location, and domain.
• Members Profiles Publication Annual publication showcasing member organizations, their capabilities, and areas of expertise within the Swiss space ecosystem; distributed as a PDF resource to members and stakeholders.
• Curated Swiss Test Facilities Access

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 38,000 students have completed the MOOC 'Space Mission Design and Operations' delivered by Claude Nicollier, with over 2,000 earning certification
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EPFL Space CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Space Innovation (formerly Swiss Space Office / Swiss Space Network) and eSpace were unified under the EPFL Space Center structure in 2023. Emmanuelle David was promoted to Executive Director of the EPFL Space Center in February 2025, overseeing both eSpace and Space Innovation divisions.
• EPFLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpace Innovation is hosted at EPFL and serves as a connector between EPFL's academic research capabilities and the broader Swiss space industry.
• ESA (European Space Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA is a key stakeholder; Space Innovation promotes ESA calls, training courses, and events to Swiss members. ESA co-organised ESMATS 2025 with Space Innovation, EPFL, and CSEM.
• Venturi SpaceminorOthers
• ClearSpaceminorOthers
• CSEMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• AlmatechminorOthers
• FHNW (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• HES-SO / HEIG-VDminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Space4ImpactminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Swiss Space Office (SERI/SSO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Space Exchange SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UKspace: The trade association of the UK space industry, linking UK companies, academia, and government stakeholders. It is the closest functional equivalent to Space Innovation at a national level in another major European space economy.
• Netherlands Space Office (SpaceNed): Dutch national space coordination body connecting industry, research institutes, and government. Similar national-level convening role in the Dutch space ecosystem as Space Innovation plays in Switzerland.
• Commercial Space Federation: US trade association of commercial space industry participants. Plays the equivalent industry-association convening role for the American commercial space sector.
• ASD-Eurospace: The European space industry trade association representing the wider European space manufacturing and services sector. It plays the same convening/advocacy role for the European space industry that Space Innovation plays at the Swiss national level.

Others

• European Space Agency (ESA): Intergovernmental space agency and Space Innovation's Core strategic partner. Not a peer in the commercial sense, but adjacent as the dominant European space ecosystem convener with which Space Innovation co-organizes events and channels programs to Swiss members.
• CSEM: Swiss technology innovation center listed as a Core strategic partner. Provides test and research infrastructure that Space Innovation routes to members; a key ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Space4Impact: A Swiss-based space ecosystem initiative explicitly listed as a Core strategic partner. Both organizations convene and promote space sector stakeholders with similar network-orchestration functions.
• Space Exchange Switzerland: Swiss national space ecosystem platform explicitly listed as a Core strategic partner. It plays a complementary role to Space Innovation in connecting Swiss space actors, making it the most direct peer.
• SKACH (Swiss-Korean Air-Space Cooperation Hub): Swiss-Korean aerospace cooperation network referenced in Space Innovation's own Instagram posts alongside EPFL Space Center. It plays a similar network-bridging role between academic/industrial partners in a related ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Swissmem: Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industry association. While broader than space, it serves as a comparable Swiss industry-association model with similar membership, events, and advocacy mechanics that Space Innovation uses for the space vertical.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/space.innovation.ch
• Instagraminstagram.com/space.innovation
• Xx.com/spaceinnovch
• Facebookfacebook.com/space.innovation.ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Space Innovation