UK’s Space Forge weighs semiconductor plant in Portugal

UK space company Space Forge has opened a subsidiary in the Azores and is assessing whether to build a semiconductor materials plant in Portugal, in a project that could involve an investment of around €20 million and start construction in 2027.

In comments to ECO/eRadar, communications and public affairs director Lewis D’Ambra said the company is exploring a site on mainland Portugal for semiconductor manufacturing capacity, while also looking at the wider Iberian market. He said Space Forge may also later consider making space vehicles in the country as it builds relationships with potential Portuguese suppliers of components and subsystems.

The company said it chose Portugal because of the country’s regulatory framework for launch and return operations and because its current base in Santa Maria, in the Azores, would support the planned recovery of its capsules. D’Ambra also pointed to Portugal’s “skilled workforce”, higher education system and access to funding programmes as factors behind the move.

Founded in 2018, Space Forge develops semiconductor materials in orbit and said it launched its Forgestar-1 satellite last year to demonstrate its ability to operate a small satellite and an in-orbit semiconductor growth tool. The company is also developing a “re-entry shield”, called Pridwen, to “allow its capsule to survive re-entry and be recovered in the Azores”, while running a pilot materials line in south Wales.

Space Forge said it raised €8.79 million in seed funding in 2021 and about €27 million in a Series A round in May last year, with backing including the NATO Innovation Fund. It also said it has received public support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency, and is considering further funding rounds to support its expansion in both space and semiconductor technology.

Originally published at Eco.pt