In parallel, the Pedro Nunes Institute, in Coimbra, will coordinate the second centre, creating a national network to support space entrepreneurship that places the country on a new level of technological competitiveness.
This announcement goes far beyond the creation of two more hubs to support startups. It represents the consolidation of a long-term national vision of science, innovation, and technological sovereignty. Space is no longer just a scientific domain but has become a critical economic infrastructure with a direct impact on communication, energy, climate, defence, mobility, data, and artificial intelligence. Each country that builds capacity in this sector is, in practice, investing in its economic autonomy and geopolitical positioning. Portugal is now clearly doing so.
The new ESA BIC Tagus+, in Oeiras, will be coordinated by Técnico, through the Association for the Development of Instituto Superior Técnico, in conjunction with the Taguspark Incubator, the Técnico Venture Lab, the Incubator of the Azores School of the Sea, the Municipality of Oeiras, CEiiA and the law firm Vieira de Almeida. In Coimbra, ESA BIC Centro+, led by IPN, integrates regional partners and ensures a wide territorial coverage, in line with the country’s smart development and specialisation priorities.
The parallel operation of two centres substantially strengthens the national capacity for incubation and acceleration of technological companies in the space sector. Each centre will be able to support up to six startups per year, with funding secured through Portuguese subscription at ESA and local partners. The overall financial envelope is close to 2.8 million euros, but the real impact goes far beyond the direct value of the investment. The program offers access to specialised mentoring, laboratory infrastructures, international networks and, above all, the value chains of the European Space Agency itself.
This movement is part of a consistent trajectory. Between 2014 and 2024, the ESA BIC Portugal program supported more than 60 companies, many of which today operate in international markets of high technological complexity. The new phase represents a qualitative leap: more scale, greater territorial capillarity, and an even deeper integration into the European innovation ecosystem.
The symbolism of this moment is reinforced by a recent historical feat. ISTSat-1 was built at the Técnico campus in Oeiras, the first satellite fully developed in Portugal, launched in July 2024 and is currently in orbit. The link between academic research, applied engineering, entrepreneurship and the global market is no longer theoretical but practical, visible, and measurable.
Portugal is thus creating the conditions to retain talent, attract investment and generate highly qualified jobs in one of the most strategic sectors of the 21st century. The country positions itself not as a user of technology, but as a producer of high-value-added solutions, integrating science, industry, and innovation into a complete economic chain.
In an international context marked by growing technological competition, this bet on space represents one of the most intelligent and structuring decisions of national economic policy in recent years. The future of the global economy is increasingly linked to the domain of space, and Portugal decided, with vision and courage, to be part of that future.
