The Innovation Park Zurich in Dübendorf is intended to become one of the key points between "Space Florida" – the US state of Florida's agency for space financing and development – and a hub for trade, logistics, research and innovation between Florida, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
According to a press release from the Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein (CSA), the CSA, the Innovation Park Zurich Foundation (IPZ), and SpaceFlorida"located a stone's throw from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, will sign a corresponding Memorandum of Understanding at the Paris Air Show. The aim is to establish transatlantic cooperation to promote trade, research, and innovation activities – with Switzerland as a hub and the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich as its location.
Airfield of the «Exploration Park» by «Space Florida»
The collaboration will focus on biotechnology, biomedicine, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), data, and materials science. The agreement includes the establishment of a transatlantic network for trade, logistics, research, innovation, and education, as well as the use of civil aviation infrastructure at Dübendorf Airport. Furthermore, the partners will grant each other access to infrastructure, services, expertise, and testing facilities, including parabolic flights from Dübendorf. In addition, the partners aim to facilitate cross-border activities.
“This agreement marks the beginning of concrete, measurable steps to build a global network of space hubs for research, trade, talent and innovation,” said Rob Long, President and CEO of Space Florida.
Rob Long: “Together with our Swiss partners, we are pooling resources to create a seamless space corridor for innovation, open up new trade flows, and establish a stronger global space ecosystem with Florida at its center.”
Dübendorf Airfield and the Zurich Innovation Park offer an active airfield with existing research flights and an innovation park with direct airfield access. The aerospace and aviation expertise of leading universities, pooled within the CSA, is also a decisive factor.
Strategic location
According to Peter E. Bodmer, President of the Innovation Park Foundation, the agreement is a milestone for the Zurich Innovation Park and its development. "The memorandum confirms the Zurich Innovation Park as a strategic location for the development of pioneering technologies and ecosystems in the heart of Europe."
The agreement grants companies and research institutions access to a space market that, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), is expected to grow to over USD 1.8 trillion by 2035. At the same time, Switzerland is positioning itself as a transatlantic innovation and economic bridge for the New Space Economy.
The Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein (CSA) is a collaborative effort between the University of Zurich, Empa, the University of St. Gallen, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Private University of Liechtenstein, the Air Force Medical Institute, the Department of Economic Affairs of the Canton of Zurich, the Office of Communication of the Liechtenstein State Administration, Swiss Skylab, and the Air Force Center. Currently, the focus at the Innovation Park Zurich is on aerospace, robotics and mobility, as well as materials and product development.
A joint working group will begin its work on June 23 to coordinate the implementation of the cooperation. The kick-off meeting will take place in Hangar 4 at the Innovation Park.
Numerous partners are cooperating
In Hangar 4, they're thinking big. Under the direction of Professor Oliver Ullrich, a broad range of space-related topics are being explored here in the so-called UZH Space Hub. These include Earth observations that will provide insights into biodiversity; transport drones that will one day fly over the Moon or Mars; the immune system and medications developed in microgravity to treat Alzheimer's, asthma, or heart conditions; and body parts grown from human stem cells that mature in space and are then implanted back on Earth.
