Funding decision for Bavarian research initiative FORnanoSatellites handed over

21.07.2025

At the Wassersaal in Erlangen’s Orangerie, the grant for the “FORnanoSatellites” project was handed over on Monday. The Bavarian Transformation and Research Foundation provided €1.8 million to advance satellite production in Bavaria. Economic Minister Hubert Aiwanger emphasized the national importance: “Without our own satellites, we would be dependent on others for Earth observation and navigation.”

A unique feature of the project is the close collaboration between 19 partners from science and industry. Under the leadership of Prof Dietmar Fey, Bavarian universities, research institutes and industrial companies are pooling their expertise. The aim is to develop a new generation of small satellites that can be manufactured efficiently and cost-effectively in Bavaria using a fully digitalised production process.

The consortium, which includes the Zentrum für Telematik and FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg on the research side as well as LMU Würzburg and DLR, focuses on pioneering technologies such as microelectronics, the integration of systems and the miniaturisation of satellite components. The partners from industry, such as Rohde & Schwarz, contribute their expertise in measurement technology and system design and help to ensure that scientific concepts can be quickly tested in practice.

The project is located in the context of the expanding ‘New Space’ market, which is expected to reach a volume of over 2,700 billion US dollars by 2040. The close collaboration between research institutions and industrial partners is an important factor in strengthening Bavaria’s market position in the global satellite market. It also opens up new application possibilities in areas such as earth observation, communication and climate research.

Consortium

The project is powered by leading research institutes and industry partners, including:

Research Institutes

• Zentrum für Telematik e.V. – CubeSat formations & satellite networking
• FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (Lehrstuhl FAPS + Lehrstuhl INFIII) – Microelectronics, AVT & computing architectures
• Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg – Earth observation & robotics
• Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V. – Aerospace technology research

Industry Partners

• Celestial Space Technologies GmbH – communication solutions
• embedded brains GmbH & Co. KG – Embedded systems & real-time software
• EOMAP – Earth observation & satellite data analytics
• Fritsch-SMT – Precision microtechnology & production solutions
• funke AVIONICS – Avionics systems for aerospace applications
• Graw Radiosondes GmbH & Co. KG – Atmospheric measurement systems
• KRONOS Mechatronics KRONOS Mechatronics – Mechatronics systems
• Lino GmbH – Optical systems & measurement technology
• Micro-Epsilon – Sensor technology for space applications
• Rohde & Schwarz - High-performance RF technology & satellite communication
• SCIPRIOS GmbH – Photovoltaic & energy management solutions
• SEHO Systems GmbH – Automated electronics manufacturing
• VIERLING – Electronic Engineering and manufacturing

Funding

Funding is provided by the Bavarian Research Foundation