Deadline: 16-Sep-25
The ESA Phi-Lab Ireland invites all interested and qualifying parties to submit research ideas to drive innovation, enhance sustainability, and improve performance in the manufacturing sector.
ESA Phi-Lab Ireland supports projects from established economic operators, proposing innovative science and technologies with high commercial potential. Applicants must demonstrate that their research activity can deliver a benefit to Ireland.
The ESA Phi-Lab Ireland focus on advanced materials, design optimisation, and advanced manufacturing techniques will enable the development of products and components that are lighter, more efficient, and environmentally friendly. Collaborations with industry partners and academic institutions will facilitate the translation of research findings into practical solutions that foster competitiveness in the manufacturing industry.
Focus Areas
- Advanced Materials Research: Research activity proposals might focus on exploring the use of advanced lightweight materials such as carbon fibre composites, aluminium alloys, and high-strength polymers in manufacturing processes. Research activity proposals supported by ESA Phi-Lab Ireland might investigate the properties, durability, and cost-effectiveness of these materials for weight-saving applications in various industries.
- Design Optimisation for Weight Reduction: ESA Phi-Lab Ireland may support research activity proposals which seek to optimise product design for weight reduction while maintaining structural integrity and performance. Research activity proposals might utilise simulation tools, finite element analysis, and generative design algorithms to create lightweight and efficient components for different applications.
- Additive Manufacturing for Lightweight Parts: Research activity proposals might explore the integration of additive manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing, for producing lightweight parts with complex geometries. Research activity proposals might investigate how additive manufacturing can enable design freedom, material efficiency, and customisation while reducing the weight of components.
- Structural Analysis and Simulation: ESA Phi-Lab Ireland may support research activity proposals that involve structural analysis and simulation to validate lightweight designs and ensure compliance with safety standards. Research activity proposals might utilise software tools and modelling techniques to assess the performance of lightweight structures under different load conditions.
- Optimisation of Production Processes: Research activity proposals might address the optimisation of manufacturing processes for weight-saving technologies. Research activity proposals might explore how process parameters, tooling options, and automation can impact the weight reduction potential of products while maintaining quality and precision.
- Integration of Smart Materials: ESA Phi-Lab Ireland may support research activity proposals which investigate the integration of smart materials and technologies, such as shape memory alloys and sensors, to enable weight-saving functionalities in products. Research activity proposals might develop novel solutions that leverage smart materials for lightweight structures, adaptive designs, and energy-efficient applications.
Funding Information
- The total available budget for the implementation of the Call is 1.8M Euro. The available Innovation Seed Funds per winning project is from a minimum of 200.000 Euro to a maximum of 400,000 Euro.
Eligible Costs
- In order to be eligible, all project costs must be:
- Necessary to the execution of the project;
- Incurred by the beneficiary and recorded in its accounts;
- Incurred during the contract term;
- Indicated in the cost planning in the proposal;
- Without VAT, interest owned, or duties.
- Expenses incurred in the preparation and dispatch of the proposal will not be reimbursed.
- The project may consider the following direct costs:
- Staff costs;
- Subcontracting costs;
- Access to data sources or intellectual property;
- Materials, equipment, and facilities;
- Travelling, subsistence, and accommodation costs
Who can Apply?
- The research project proposal must be submitted by (a team part of) a legal entity or a consortium of legal entities.
- The proposed research shall enable market disruptive application, of potential high socio-economic impact; it shall be based on solid research-driven evidence of its feasibility. There shall be evidence of market traction for the applications that the technology (to be matured by the research project) enables.
- The idea shall have a valid space connection. This is:
- The exploitation of space technology, use of knowledge from the space domain, or utilisation of space systems and space-based services in non-space domains (spinoff)
- Or the provision of products or services for the space sector, addressing any part of the space value chain (from components to entirely new space systems or related facilities and services) and any related activity (from concept definition to operation), possibly using non-space technology (spin-in)
- Some further criteria apply:
- the project shall be focused on maturing (a) technology(ies) towards the performance levels required by the target application(s)
- the applicants must fulfil all the requirements below:
- to be part of a legal entity established in an ESA Member State, Associate Member of European Cooperating State (specify Country), and can demonstrate that the research activity can deliver a benefit to ESA Phi-Lab Ireland, which is of particular importance for applicants that are part of a legal entity established in a State different from the one of ESA Phi-Lab Ireland.
- where an applicant is a university or research institution, applications are solely made as part of a consortium which includes one or more private company partners.
- to observe the remaining requirements stated in this document
- when acting in collaboration with other national or foreign entities, the applicant will be the prime contractor and will be fully responsible for managing the funding. Non-IE entities can ONLY be a subcontractor.
- when acting in collaboration with other foreign entities the proportion of the total project costs must be allocated to Irish entities is greater than or equal to 70%.
- to declare that the work proposed under the submitted ESA Phi-Lab Ireland research activity proposal is not being funded through other means (e.g. ESA R&D activities, ESA Business Incubation, ESA Business Applications, European Commission etc).
For more information, visit ESA Phi-Lab Ireland.