The European Commission and the European Investment Bank announced a €100 million conditional loan for the new Ariane 6 launcher programme and a first €100 million in the InnovFin (InnovFin Space Equity Pilot) programme for space-sector SMEs on Tuesday 21 January alongside the European Space Conference.
For Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, this is "a change of direction for Europe in supporting the European space industry". He recalled that the Ariane 6 launcher was "central to the objective of guaranteeing autonomous European access to space", before insisting on the need to send a "positive signal" to the European space industry by supporting start-ups. Autonomous access to space and the development of a European "New Space" are two of the main priorities of the European space strategy (see EUROPE 12327/17, 12326/8).
To this end the financial effort is supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments and by InnovFin, a joint initiative launched by the EIB Group (EIB and European Investment Fund) with the Commission in the framework of Horizon 2020 to facilitate access to finance for businesses. In addition, the Commission and the EIF have announced the first ever EU-supported pilot project in the space sector under InnovFin.
For the future European launcher Ariane 6 (to be launched by the end of the year), the EIB has signed an agreement with André-Hubert Roussel, CEO of ArianeGroup, who is responsible for its development. The support of the InnovFin Space Equity Pilot is aimed at supporting the private space sector. Primo Space, an early-stage Italian technology investor specialising in space-related technologies, is the first fund selected by the EIF for this pilot project. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)