On 19 June 2026, the ESA Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) Castilla-La Mancha was officially inaugurated during a launch event held at the Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla-La Mancha (PCTCLM) in Albacete, Spain.
The event brought together representatives from ESA, national and regional institutions, academia and industry to mark the opening of a new hub for space-driven entrepreneurship in Spain.
This inauguration reflects the continued expansion of ESA’s commercialisation activities in Spain. In particular, ESA’s ACCESS programme, designed to accelerate the commercialisation and competitiveness of European industry, together with its ScaleUp element, supporting companies in their growth phase, is creating additional opportunities to develop and bring space-enabled solutions to market.
ESA Commercialisation Officer, Nicolas Helssen, at ESA BIC Castilla-La Mancha inauguration event
A new ESA BIC powered by PCTCLM
The ESA BIC Castilla-La Mancha is powered by the Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla-La Mancha (PCTCLM), which will host and operate the centre from its facilities in Albacete. Acting as a central node within the regional innovation ecosystem, PCTCLM connects companies, universities and public institutions, supporting the development of high-value technological initiatives.
The centre is backed by a regional consortium including Arribes, the University of Castilla-La Mancha, FIDAMC and BM&C, and builds on the strategic positioning of Castilla-La Mancha. During the event, representatives highlighted the region’s strong industrial and logistics base, competitive operating conditions, and connectivity to key economic hubs in Spain. The availability of talent, growing aerospace activity, and access to funding, particularly through European programmes, were also emphasised as enablers for startup development.
The new ESA BIC is expected to contribute to the creation of technology-based startups, while fostering the attraction of investment and qualified talent to the region. By integrating into ESA’s European-wide commercialisation framework, the centre will enable entrepreneurs to benefit from funding, technical expertise and business support, as well as improved access to markets.
Launch event highlights
The event opened with a welcome session led by the Director of PCTCLM, Agustín Moreno, followed by a welcome address by Cornelis Eldering, Head of ESA Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Services, and contributions from ESA Commercialisation Officer Nicolas Helssen, outlining the importance of space-based entrepreneurial activities for the region’s strategy. José Maria Pérez, Head of National Programmes at the Spanish Space Agency, underscored the centre’s strategic importance in the region as a key catalyst for advancing innovation across Spain’s wider ecosystem.
José Maria Pérez, Head of National Programmes at the Spanish Space Agency
Philip Thomas, Head of the ScaleUp division at ESA, congratulates the ESA BIC Castilla-La Mancha: “The expansion of the ESA BIC network in Spain underscores the importance and significance of the ESA BIC to unlock space commercialisation at a regional level in participating ESA Member States.”
An inspirational message was also delivered by Pablo Alvarez Fernandez, Spanish astronaut from ESA. This was followed by a presentation of the ESA BIC programme and its implementation in Castilla-La Mancha by Irene Sánchez, manager of ESA BIC Castilla-La Mancha.
The second part of the event featured institutional interventions from Amador Pastor Noheda, Regional Minister for Education, Culture and Sports of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha; Manuel Serrano López, Mayor of Albacete; Julián Garde López-Brea, Rector of the University of Castilla-La Mancha; Juan Carlos Cortés Pulido, Director of the Spanish Space Agency and Chair of the European Space Agency Council; and Emiliano García-Page Sánchez, President of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha.
Interventions highlighted the importance of coordinated action between regional, national and European levels to foster a strong space innovation ecosystem and recognised the ESA BIC Castilla-La Mancha as a strategic instrument to further position the region within the space economy.
Strengthening ESA’s footprint in Spain
The inauguration of ESA BIC Castilla-La Mancha marks a further step in the evolution of ESA’s presence in Spain, where incubation, access to technologies and scale-up support are increasingly aligned. By combining regional strengths with ESA’s programmes, the new centre contributes to embedding space innovation across sectors and supporting the international growth of competitive European ventures.
Discover more on ESA BICs