EIB launching Space TechEU programme to scale up Europe’s space sector

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• The EIB’s first dedicated financing facility for European space companies.
• In partnership with commercial banks it is expected to mobilise €1.4 billion in investment.
• ESA to provide sector and technical advice to commercial banks.
• New initiative part of the EIB’s TechEU programme fostering innovation and development of new technologies.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is setting up Space TechEU, its first dedicated financing programme for the European space sector, as part of its TechEU initiative. The space financing initiative was announced earlier today at the European Space Agency`s triannual Council of Ministers meeting in Bremen.

The new lending programme is expected to include €500 million EIB financing to support companies across the space value chain, from upstream to downstream, and mobilise an estimated €1.4 billion of new investment in cooperation with commercial banks. It will be focused in particular on supporting SMEs and mid-caps in the sector, who often struggle the most to obtain bank financing.

The EIB will provide both credit lines and guarantees to EU banking partners. In a strategic partnership with the EIB, the European Space Agency (ESA) will provide sector understanding and technical expertise to commercial banks who join the programme.   

“Through this new dedicated space finance programme, we will give banks across the EU the tools and the confidence to increase their financing for space companies in Europe across the entire space value chain”, EIB Vice President Robert de Groot said. “We are supporting the development of a strong, globally competitive European space industry – one that ensures more autonomy and contributes to our prosperity and security.”

The initiative is a concrete result of the tripartite collaboration partnership agreed last year between the EIB Group, ESA and the European Commission. This partnership seeks to improve access to finance, encourage innovation and knowledge sharing, and accelerate development of cutting-edge space technologies, by combining the three parties` expertise.

During the formal launch event, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, as well as representatives of three large European commercial banks underlined the importance of this initiative to accelerate space investment through dedicated financing in the sector.

The EIB and ESA are joining forces to improve access to finance for businesses, particularly SMEs and midcaps in space and space-enabler industries. Many of these firms face persistent financing challenges, partly because banks are unfamiliar with the sector. The initiative aims to close this gap by providing technical expertise, building market knowledge, and promoting the programme among companies less accustomed to commercial financing.

The Space TechEU programme will add to the European Commission’s existing space programmes. Through close cooperation it will ensure that Europe’s strategic priorities are matched with adequate financing.

Designing, manufacturing and launching of satellites and rockets will be eligible for financing under the new space financing programme, as well as space related investment including ground infrastructure and technology and data driven space applications, telecommunication, maritime navigation, agriculture, climate and resource management. Other investment in the space sector can also be considered.

Background information

EIB

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world and Europe’s capital markets union.   The EIB Group, which includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.    Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the EU targets cohesion regions, where per-capita income is below the EU average, while almost 60% of annual EIB Group investments support climate action and environmental sustainability. 

TechEU

The agreement falls under EIB Group’s flagship TechEU programme, the largest ever financing initiative for innovation in Europe. Over the 2025-2027 period, the EIB Group will commit €70 billion to support high-risk projects and innovative companies throughout their investment journey, from idea to IPO, mobilising €250 billion together with financing partners in investment for disruptive technologies and enabling infrastructure. The EIB has launched a dedicated TechEU Portal as a one-stop-shop service, with an embedded “Investment Readiness Checker”, that allows European startups and scaleups working in AI, cleantech, life sciences, and defence and space technologies to find out how the EIB Group can support their ambitions.

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