ESRIC celebrates five years of space resources innovation
Luxembourg’s European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) marks five years of driving space resources innovation, entrepreneurship and global collaboration.
Lena Mårtensson
20/11/2025
The European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) celebrates its fifth anniversary as the world’s first centre dedicated to space resources. Founded in 2020 by the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), with the European Space Agency (ESA) as strategic partner, ESRIC is a cornerstone of Luxembourg’s space sector and its ambition to lead the sustainable space economy.
Promoting sustainable space exploration
ESRIC's mission is to enable sustainable space exploration and lay the foundations for a future in-space economy. From its base within LIST, the centre has grown to a team of 30 experts working across three pillars: research, commercialisation and community. Its research programme, supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) under the PEARL initiative, focuses on technologies enabling the responsible use of lunar resources such as oxygen, metals and water – critical for future space missions and in-space manufacturing.
Accelerating startups and building global networks
ESRIC’s incubator and accelerator programmes, in partnership with the incubator Technoport and ESA, have supported 32 companies to date, with six relocating to Luxembourg. These initiatives strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem and attract international investment to the Luxembourg space sector.
The centre also hosts Space Resources Week, the largest global event dedicated to space resources. The 2025 edition welcomed over 450 participants from space agencies, industry, academia and startups, reinforcing Luxembourg’s position as a hub for space resources innovation and collaboration.
Looking ahead, ESRIC is expanding its facilities, including a Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chamber funded by ESA to simulate lunar conditions. With continued research, startup support and international partnerships, ESRIC will drive sustainable space exploration and cement Luxembourg’s role in the global space economy.
Photo copyright: ESRIC
