Irish space-tech celebrates ‘record’ 2025 with €26.7m in ESA contracts

What happened

Irish space-tech had a record 2025 after companies secured €25.3m in contracts from the European Space Agency (ESA) and research organisations bagged a further €1.3m, in a positive sign for the country’s R&D output. Last year’s total in earned ESA contracts reached €24m .

Last September, Mbroynics, a Galway-based maker of photonic technology and satellite optical communications, opened a new manufacturing facility, creating 125 new jobs over two years in deep-tech engineering and advanced manufacturing. The company was also selected to be part of the strategic European partnership to deliver a part of the ESA’s Hydron programme – the world’s first entirely optical multi-orbit transport network.

Meanwhile, Ubotica, which develops an AI-powered satellite platform used in maritime security and climate change detection, raised $11m earlier this year . Ireland upped its ESA investment to more than €170m between 2026 and 2030.

INNOVATION Irish space-tech celebrates ‘record’ 2025 with €26.7m in ESA contracts by Suhasini Srinivasaragavan 6 Nov 2026 Save article Image: Ubotica Ireland upped its ESA investment to more than €170m between 2026 and 2030. The record year now sees Ireland inject a further €40m to its commitment to the ESA, bringing its overall investment in the agency to more than €170m between 2026 and 2030.

Technology developed by the space sector has applications across adjacent industries, including in areas such as defence, communications and environmental research. It followed that up with a second 40,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Shannon to keep up with the growing demand for its services.

Réaltra, based in Dublin, delivered the payload (what a rocket is carrying) interface unit for ESA’s Plato mission last year. The company also supplied camera systems for Ariane 6’s fourth commercial flight of the year.