Space travel on the rise: Villingen-Schwenningen addresses opportunities for suppliers

Space travel on the rise: Villingen-Schwenningen addresses opportunities for suppliers

Space travel is experiencing a real boom and is increasingly recognized as a growing market area. In this context, an exciting event on the topic “Suppliers in orbit – opportunities in aerospace” took place in Villingen-Schwenningen. Around 100 guests from business, research and politics came together. The event was organized by the IHK Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg, Technology-Mountains, AuToS SW-BW and Furtwangen University. A central goal of the event was to promote exchange about the opportunities for medium-sized suppliers in space travel. Marvin Lehmann from the IHK summed it up: Precision and quality are the key to success for suppliers in order to be able to compete in this dynamic environment.

A highlight of the event was the keynote speech by ESA reserve astronaut Nicola Winter, who was able to address developments in the industry. She pointed out that the market potential is growing enormously due to the increasing number of private satellites. If you look at the numbers, it's no wonder: around 13,000 satellites are already orbiting the earth, and global sales in the private space industry have risen sharply in recent years. From 2013 to 2023, it grew by an impressive 23% to $285 billion, while government and commercial human spaceflight alone generated $114 billion in revenue. These figures clearly show that the demand for satellites and associated technologies is constantly increasing.

The companies in focus

As part of the event, Freyer GmbH & Co. KG proudly presented its 50 years of experience in space supply. Robert Hofmann GmbH also impressively demonstrated how it has transformed itself from an automotive prototype supplier to an aviation series manufacturer. Furtwangen University presented technologies that not only create synergies between industries, but also open up new business opportunities. The discussions made it clear how important a close connection between research, practice and networks is for the future development of the region.

Although the focus of the space industry is on prestigious missions to distant worlds, the importance of satellites is enormous. These are indispensable for numerous everyday applications such as telephony, television, navigation and Internet data transmission. They are also used in earth observation for climate research, agriculture and crisis management. Technological advances have reduced the cost of satellites and their transportation, allowing for more frequent deployments. More than 258 successful rocket launches have already been recorded in 2024, more than half in the USA and a quarter in China.

A look into the future

With current developments and continued growth in the industry, exciting times lie ahead for space travel. The German space industry achieved sales of around three billion euros in 2023 and offered around 10,000 jobs. Both start-ups such as Isar Aerospace, which develop launch vehicles for small satellites, and large companies are contributing to the expansion of the market. Forecasts suggest the number of satellites could rise to an impressive 38,000 by 2033.

In conclusion, space travel offers many opportunities, especially for companies that focus on new technologies and the use of satellite data. If the players manage to network their expertise and use the synergies between the different industries, nothing stands in the way of a successful future.