Bavaria is sometimes called the European Silicon Valley and is a significant centre of innovation. One of the areas where exciting things are happening is in the space industry. Norway and Germany have already established a link in this field, with the private German company ISAR Aerospace from the Bavarian city of Munich already well-established in Andøya: agreements have been made to launch several small satellites from there. For those in Nordland, the idea with the agreement is to build up Spaceport Andøy and to create new, exciting, and important jobs in the county. The fact that Spaceport Andøy is successful is also important nationally, particularly for Norway’s development as a space nation, says Tomas Norvoll. On Friday, he signed a memorandum of understandingt between Nordland and Bavaria with Bavarian Director General Dr. Sabine Jarothe.
Ketil Olsen, the administrative director of Andøya Space, believes that it is very positive that a space collaboration has been established between authorities in the two regions:
- Our agreement with ISAR Aerospace is purely commercial, but it is important that it is also establishes a cooperation at regional government level. It contributes to the anchoring of space-related activities politically and can lay the foundation for cooperation in other areas. The development that is now happening within the space industry is important for the whole of Europe, and it is good that Nordland County Council is actively involved as a facilitator.
Andøya Space received 365 million kroner (35,5 mill euros) from the Norwegian government in 2021 for space investment, specifically for the launch site Andøya Spaceport. Several countries are now competing to become the most important launch site for European satellites, including Scotland, Portugal, and Sweden. Satellites are critically important in many areas, including telecommunications, navigation, and climate, environment, and earth observation.
Visit at Isar Aerospace.
Isar Aerospace