Governance
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI) was established as a joint Centre of Excellence on 17 May 2022, when State Secretary Martina Hirayama and Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between Switzerland and ESA. The agreement formalised the creation of ESDI at the location of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen.
Led by ESA, ESDI aims to close the gap between academic research and economic development in the space sector. Its activities are structured around thematic platforms that bring together partners from inside and outside Switzerland. These platforms are designed to address challenges arising from ESA’s programme needs and the broader space community. Initial focus areas include quantum technologies, advanced materials, and data management and processing.
ESDI plays a coordinating role, facilitating projects by leveraging existing infrastructures and networks across European universities and industry. ESA implements its activities at ESDI under the frameworks of its own programmes. ESA identified the ETH Domain’s mix of infrastructures and competences as particularly valuable for space research. PSI’s globally unique large-scale facilities make it an ideal location for hosting the Centre.