ESA's innovation funding programme, ESA Phi-Lab Finland, started its operations in Finland at the beginning of this year, and now the open call for innovation funding offered by the programme has been opened in connection with the latest Space Business Forum.
In Finland, Phi-Lab's space funding is aimed at innovations related to the Geospatial theme.
In addition to funding, the programme provides the selected projects with support for business development and technical advice, which in practice is the responsibility of the project partners Aalto University, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute of the National Land Survey of Finland and the University of Vaasa.
In the first period of ESA Phi-Lab Finland, 2025–2030, funding is available for EUR 4.4 million, and a single innovation project is supported in the amount of EUR 200,000–500,000, depending on the amount of support applied for.
The selection of the projects to be supported will take place after the application dates announced in advance by an evaluation team consisting of ESA, the project partners and the Finnish ESA delegation. The next evaluation of the projects will be carried out on the basis of applications received by 1 June, 2025.
More detailed information about the call and its themes can be found on the ESA Phi-Lab Finland website and in the attached video.
