Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67 %) and Leonardo (33 %), has signed a Letter of Intent with the Ministry of the Economy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg regarding the creation of a Digital Center of Excellence in Luxembourg.

The company's intention is to accelerate its initiatives and cooperation with Luxembourg. This new center, Thales Alenia Space in Luxembourg, will focus on the development of highly innovative digital solutions for space telecommunications and observation products. The Digital Center of Thales Alenia Space is expected to be operational in Luxembourg by end of year 2019 and will be designed as well as organized according to the experience and best practices inspired by Thales Digital Factory.

Fully supported by The Ministry of the Economy of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Space Agency, the initiative is totally aligned and in synergy with Luxembourg’s Space and Digital Strategy.

Jean Loïc Galle, CEO of Thales Alenia Space, stated that with this new Digital Center, Thales Alenia Space plans to develop Innovative Minimum Viable Products (MVP) in close relation with the firm's customers, to be an anchor for local and regional business development and to actively participate in the Luxembourg innovation ecosystem.

Etienne Schneider, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy, remarked that digital transformation and space technologies have become a crucial topic for businesses in today’s rapidly changing and complex environment. Luxembourg strives to nurture the latest digital technological developments to achieve the digital economy of tomorrow. In line with the data-driven innovation strategy and policy for the development of commercial space, Luxembourg is well-positioned to work with Thales Alenia Space to foster technologies that can support an efficient and sustainable space sector, as well as encourage further uptake of space-based products by end users.