Advanced Materials and In-orbit Manufacturing Accelerator
Advanced Materials and In-orbit Manufacturing Accelerator
Phase 2 Launch May 22, 2025
The BSGN Advanced Materials and In-orbit Manufacturing Accelerator is a Europe-wide, multidisciplinary accelerator dedicated to advancing new materials and novel engineering solutions for both industrial and space applications.
We partner with innovators ranging from start-ups and SMEs to large multinationals, leveraging space-based R&D for product development, innovation, and technological advancement.
The BSGN Accelerator co-funds and supports commercial projects and innovators developing breakthrough advanced materials and manufacturing solutions using in-orbit R&D and microgravity engineering platforms.
The programme fosters close collaboration between space and non-space industries to encourage innovation in high-potential commercial areas. It provides co-funding and expertise to accelerate innovations from concept to commercialisation.
The BSGN Accelerator is an initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA) and its partner, the Satellite Applications Catapult, which manages and delivers the Accelerator for advanced materials and in-orbit manufacturing.
Image credit: NASA
Enabling Early-Stage Innovation
“The BSGN Accelerator gave us the critical support needed to take a bold concept for in-space manufacturing and develop it into a working prototype. Without this structured programme, it would have been extremely difficult for a small team to navigate the technical and strategic challenges of early-stage development in such a complex domain.”
Segments of interest for the Accelerator
In-Orbit Testing and Demonstration
In-space testing and qualification of new materials, components, and subsystems to establish valuable “space heritage”—particularly important for organisations yet to get products into orbit.
New Materials R&D and Engineering for Earth
Microgravity R&D on specialty chemicals, novel materials, and processing technologies (e.g. high-quality, efficient semiconducting materials).
Onboard R&D Hardware & Facilities
Multipurpose in-orbit R&D, testing, and production facilities, including, but not limited to, furnaces, combustion reactors, 3D printers, and thin-film deposition facilities.
In-Orbit Manufacturing Solutions for Space
In-orbit assembly of large physical constructs to build new space infrastructure. Innovative use of In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) to enable new or improved technology solutions and applications for use in space.
Services
We deliver two key services through the Accelerator:
- Technology Acceleration and Commercialisation
- Leveraging ESA co-funding to fast-track the development of cutting-edge materials and manufacturing technologies led by high-potential start-ups, SMEs, and innovators.
- Providing technical, financial, and commercialisation support to bring high-potential innovations from concept to market.
- Innovation Advice, Management, and Execution
- Partnering with corporations to help them harness the potential of microgravity to pioneer material innovations for superior product development. We align corporate strategic innovation goals with capabilities enabled by space-based microgravity R&D and engineering.
- Through the Accelerator, we provide strategic advice, develop, and source breakthrough solutions from our network of innovators to help our partners overcome innovation challenges.
- We support the development of a sustainable innovation pipeline spanning research, development, and commercialisation.
Opening Doors to the Space Ecosystem
“Participation in BSGN has significantly raised our profile within the European space community. It introduced us to key stakeholders, connected us with ESA’s technical networks, and created a strong foundation for pursuing future funding and partnerships as we now move toward flight readiness.”
Focus on New and Advanced Materials
The aim of this Accelerator is to deliver microgravity-enabled innovations for advanced materials engineering.
Materials produced in space have properties such as increased purity, strength, and precision, offering distinct advantages over Earth-made materials.
Certain classes of advanced materials could greatly benefit from R&D using microgravity, leveraging the unique environment to enhance their properties.
Benefits of Microgravity for Advanced Materials R&D
The in-orbit environment allows gravity to be treated as a variable, fine-tuning the physical properties of materials to achieve optimal characteristics.
Increasing space access is enabling more researchers to study materials in the unique orbital environment, leading to improved materials production at scale on Earth. There is also potential for mass-manufacturing superior materials in orbit for Earth-based applications and further space exploration.
2023 Accelerator Phase One – Dcubed and Photocentric
Photocentric and Dcubed were selected from a strong field of applicants to participate in Phase One of the Accelerator Programme.
Accelerating Dcubed
Dcubed sought assistance to apply its 3D printing expertise to develop novel solar array technology and prepare it for market. The Accelerator partnership provided expert input and co-funding to advance Dcubed’s ISM Solar Array TRLs.
Upscaling to larger arrays—enabled by in-space manufacturing—means Dcubed can meet the power requirements of larger satellites, expanding its addressable market and creating new revenue opportunities.
The Accelerator team also supported the development of its business case for further investment and assisted in securing ScaleUP Invest support for its next mission: in-orbit demonstrations of its groundbreaking technology.
Dcubed has since grown to over 30 employees and now occupies more than 1,000 sqm of office and production space.
Learn more about Dcubed here.
Accelerating Photocentric
Photocentric is an established innovator in additive manufacturing and advanced materials. Participation in the Accelerator has assisted Photocentric in designing and developing technologies for space applications.
CosmicMaker™ is a compact, autonomous in-space manufacturing platform designed for use in microgravity. It serves as a multi-functional R&D resource capable of producing high-quality parts and tools from a variety of materials on demand.
The Accelerator helped progress the prototype to TRL4 (ready for parabolic flight testing) on a path toward in-space demonstration on the ISS (TRL 7+).
Participation also provided support in establishing customer requirements, developing business planning, and networking within the space industry, enabling a smoother transition from product development to the commercialisation of CosmicMaker™.
Learn more about Photocentric here.
Laying the Foundation for Flight Ready Technology
“Thanks to BSGN, we were able to focus our efforts on building and validating the core elements of a novel multi-material 3D printing system for space. The programme helped shape our technical strategy and positioned us for the next stage of development, including planned parabolic flight testing and microgravity validation.”
May 2025: NEW CALL FOR PROPOSALS:
The latest call for Advanced Materials and In-orbit Manufacturing projects was launched on 22 May 2025. ESA’s OSIP platform has more details about the call and how to apply for this Accelerator.
Successful applicants will benefit from co-funding to accelerate the development of their technology and opportunities to demonstrate their innovations in the in-orbit environment. Additionally, they will receive tailored advisory support to strengthen business cases and de-risk their technology development and commercialisation plans.