PSI ESDI 2023-2025

• Research unit: SERI
• Project number: P2023-ESDI 2023-2025

Key words (English)

ESDI ESA PSI SSO Paul Scherrer Institut SBFI SERI SEFRI

Short description (English)

Switzerland is a founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2021 SERI and the ESA Director General envisioned the creation of a joint centre ofexcellence of Switzerland and ESA (ESDI) with headquarters at the Park Innovaare Facilities at PSI to accelerate the availability and adoption of Deep Technologies (DeepTech) for the benefit of ESA, its programs and the Swiss and European space sector at large. This is achieved by building on and making accessible the expertise and opportunities of the Swiss research and education landscape, notably through the ETH Domain (ETH Zürich,
EPFL, and the research Institutes PSI, WSL, Empa, and Eawag). A Memorandum of Cooperation to set up a Centre of Excellence (ESDI) in Switzerland was signed on the 17th of May 2022 by the State Secretary SERI, Martina Hirayama, and ESA Director General, Josef Aschbacher.

The goal of ESDI is to incentivize Use-lnspired Research for Space, guided by ESA needs, within four main DeepTech Thematic Platforms:
• Materials Quality and Innovation,
• Quantum Technologies,
• Data Management,
• Sustainable Space Ecosystem

Innovation will be supported and accelerated by enabling and/or facilitating access to the extensive research infrastructure uniqueto Switzerland and Europe.

Project aims (English)

NASO provides the necessary initial funding to establish a working ESDI organization in collaboration with ESA, PSI and the SSO (PSI on behalf of the ETH Domain). It also assists in establishing requirements for additional financial support and funding through the ESA Φ-lab program. The main steps to achieve these goals by the end of 2024 include:
• Creation of an Extensible Platform that can gather the needs of ESA and support theSwiss community in providing internationally relevant solutions.
o Coordinate with ESA to hire Head of ESDI (paid and performed by ESA)
o Assist the Head of ESDI with hiring Platform Managers
o Assist with assembling Steering Committees and Thematic Advisory Boards.
o Establishing a physical location at Park Innovaare
o Apply for the ESA Φ-lab program funding
• Start outreach and community building
• Start initial (up to) two Thematic Platforms and bring them to operational status.
• Launch up to two open calls and provide chosen projects with funding
• Gather experience and feedback for improvements
• Secure funding for future years (2025 onward) from the ETH Board.