|
European leader in space infrastructure, payload integration and mission operations joins Starlab to strengthen international reach and extend capabilities for Starlab customers
HOUSTON and SYDNEY, Oct. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Starlab Space LLC at the 76th International Astronautical Congress today announced that Space Applications Services, a Belgium-based leader in space engineering and payload integration, has joined the company as a joint venture partner and investor. The partnership expands Starlab's global footprint and extends the capabilities available to Starlab customers.
SpaceApps contributes deep experience in space systems, mission operations and payload integration with capabilities that include avionics, payload development, the end-to-end International Commercial Experiment Cubes (ICECubes) service, as well as mission integration and operations control software. The company also works closely with the European Space Agency and international partners, broadening Starlab's access to global markets and research communities.
"Adding SpaceApps as both an investor and partner proves we're rapidly moving from design to reality," said Marshall Smith, CEO of Starlab. "With additional capital and expertise from international partners, we're not just building the most advanced commercial space station and offering our customers exceptional capabilities, we're accelerating scientific discovery and defining the next era of space exploration."
The partnership will also include collaboration on SpaceApps's Space Innovation Laboratories currently under development across Europe. These ground-based facilities will provide expanded microgravity research access for universities and industry partners, helping to build the research community and scientific payload pipeline for Starlab's orbital laboratory.
"We are proud to join Starlab as both an investor and a partner," said Richard Aked, CEO of SpaceApps. "Starlab's vision aligns with our mission to broaden access to space. By contributing our payload facilities, avionics, and mission integration expertise, we look forward to enabling breakthrough science and innovation in low-Earth orbit."
The addition of SpaceApps further positions Starlab as one of the most advanced Commercial LEO Destination programs in development. Built by the team behind two decades of International Space Station success and backed by commitments from joint venture partners across the United States, Europe, Japan, and Canada, Starlab is rapidly advancing from design to development, evidenced by its scheduled Critical Design Review at the end of the year.
About Starlab
Starlab Space is a U.S.-led, global joint venture among Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG), Airbus, Mitsubishi Corporation, MDA Space, Palantir Technologies, and Space Applications Services, with strategic partners including Hilton, Journey, Northrop Grumman, and The Ohio State University. Starlab is developing a next-generation, AI-enabled commercial space station, aiming to ensure continued human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research alongside the retirement of the International Space Station. Starlab's advanced, user-driven design and robust capabilities make it a premier platform for scientific discovery and technological advancement in space. For more information, visit starlab-space.com.
About Space Applications Services
Space Applications Services, based in Belgium with offices in the Netherlands and the U.S., develops advanced technologies for human spaceflight, exploration, and Earth observation. Serving clients such as ESA, NASA and the European Commission, the company delivers mission-critical systems including robotics, avionics, astronaut training, and ISS operations to support successful space missions worldwide. Its multidisciplinary teams combine engineering, science, and operations expertise to deliver end-to-end solutions from concept to orbit.
European leader in space infrastructure, payload integration and mission operations joins Starlab to strengthen international reach and extend capabilities for Starlab customers
HOUSTON and SYDNEY, Oct. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Starlab Space LLC at the 76th International Astronautical Congress today announced that Space Applications Services, a Belgium-based leader in space engineering and payload integration, has joined the company as a joint venture partner and investor. The partnership expands Starlab's global footprint and extends the capabilities available to Starlab customers.
SpaceApps contributes deep experience in space systems, mission operations and payload integration with capabilities that include avionics, payload development, the end-to-end International Commercial Experiment Cubes (ICECubes) service, as well as mission integration and operations control software. The company also works closely with the European Space Agency and international partners, broadening Starlab's access to global markets and research communities.
"Adding SpaceApps as both an investor and partner proves we're rapidly moving from design to reality," said Marshall Smith, CEO of Starlab. "With additional capital and expertise from international partners, we're not just building the most advanced commercial space station and offering our customers exceptional capabilities, we're accelerating scientific discovery and defining the next era of space exploration."
The partnership will also include collaboration on SpaceApps's Space Innovation Laboratories currently under development across Europe. These ground-based facilities will provide expanded microgravity research access for universities and industry partners, helping to build the research community and scientific payload pipeline for Starlab's orbital laboratory.
"We are proud to join Starlab as both an investor and a partner," said Richard Aked, CEO of SpaceApps. "Starlab's vision aligns with our mission to broaden access to space. By contributing our payload facilities, avionics, and mission integration expertise, we look forward to enabling breakthrough science and innovation in low-Earth orbit."
The addition of SpaceApps further positions Starlab as one of the most advanced Commercial LEO Destination programs in development. Built by the team behind two decades of International Space Station success and backed by commitments from joint venture partners across the United States, Europe, Japan, and Canada, Starlab is rapidly advancing from design to development, evidenced by its scheduled Critical Design Review at the end of the year.
About Starlab
Starlab Space is a U.S.-led, global joint venture among Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG), Airbus, Mitsubishi Corporation, MDA Space, Palantir Technologies, and Space Applications Services, with strategic partners including Hilton, Journey, Northrop Grumman, and The Ohio State University. Starlab is developing a next-generation, AI-enabled commercial space station, aiming to ensure continued human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research alongside the retirement of the International Space Station. Starlab's advanced, user-driven design and robust capabilities make it a premier platform for scientific discovery and technological advancement in space. For more information, visit starlab-space.com.
About Space Applications Services
Space Applications Services, based in Belgium with offices in the Netherlands and the U.S., develops advanced technologies for human spaceflight, exploration, and Earth observation. Serving clients such as ESA, NASA and the European Commission, the company delivers mission-critical systems including robotics, avionics, astronaut training, and ISS operations to support successful space missions worldwide. Its multidisciplinary teams combine engineering, science, and operations expertise to deliver end-to-end solutions from concept to orbit.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Starlab Adds Space Applications Services as Strategic Partner, Equity Owner in Joint Venture
- Global agri-food innovation competition names four winning startups during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
- HyveGeo, Permia Sensing, Flybox, and Akorn Technology to share USD 2 million to pilot and scale solutions in the UAE and the Global South.
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The third edition of the UAE FoodTech Challenge, a global competition that identifies and scales the world's most promising agri-tech innovations, concluded at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week with the announcement of four winning startups:
Category: Climate-Smart Food Production
- Permia Sensing uses AI, bioacoustic sensors and drone imaging to monitor tree health. Already covering over 15,000 hectares of palm plantations in Sri Lanka, the technology offers early detection of stress factors, such as dehydration and pest infestations, enabling farmers to boost yields and reduce waste. They now plan to work with local partners to finesse and localize their solution for the UAE and scale its application across the Middle East.
- HyveGeo turns agricultural waste into a carbon-rich biochar, then enriches it with microbes to create a high-performance soil enhancer. This circular, nature-based approach is already being used by farmers and landscape managers across the UAE, transforming arid, desert soil into fertile, arable land. As winners, they plan to expand their research and launch pilots in markets across the Global South.
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The third edition of the UAE FoodTech Challenge, a global competition that identifies and scales the world's most promising agri-tech innovations, concluded at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week with the announcement of four winning startups:
Category: Climate-Smart Food Production
Category: Food Loss & Waste Reduction
- Akorn Technology produces a natural, edible coating for fruit and vegetables, including a vegetable protein to slow ripening, a wax to reduce moisture loss, and a vegetable oil to maintain color. Their solution is already being used in Egypt and Ghana to extend the shelf life of produce and cut post-harvest losses, and will now be optimized for use in the UAE and arid environments across the region.
- Flybox uses black soldier fly larvae to convert agricultural byproducts into high-quality protein and fertilizer, while reducing waste sent to landfill. Housed in shipping containers, their off-grid, low-cost solution is currently being used in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria, and will now launch in the UAE, with plans for working with local waste management partners to deploy at scale.
From an initial pool of 1,215 submissions from 113 countries, ten finalists advanced to the final stage of the competition, presenting their solutions in live pitches to an international judging panel comprising senior leaders and experts in food systems, sustainability, investment, and international development. Following evaluation, the four winning startups were announced during an awards ceremony on the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week main stage.
Rima Al Mokarrab, Chair of Tamkeen and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge, remarked:
"Building resilient and secure food systems is central to the UAE's long-term vision for a prosperous future. The latest winners of the UAE FoodTech Challenge now join a growing community of past awardees, who have since raised over USD 48 million in follow-on funding and launched more than 50 pilot projects across the UAE and other markets. As they begin this next phase of their journey, support from our network of partners and UAE's world-class innovation ecosystem will serve as a launchpad for their solutions, enabling them to contribute to more resilient and sustainable food systems in the UAE, the global south, and worldwide."
The four teams will share a USD 2 million prize and will be invited to scale their solutions in the UAE, where they will receive tailored in-kind support, including pilot opportunities, access to research facilities, market-entry guidance, mentorship, and investor introductions through an extensive network of local and international partners. From this base, the winners will work to deploy and scale their solutions across key markets in the Global South, supporting more resilient and sustainable food systems.
Fatema Almulla, Senior Specialist Development, International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, said:
"The UAE plays a leading role in international development, with agricultural innovation central to its global engagement. Through the UAE FoodTech Challenge, winning startups are embedded within a proven development ecosystem; where advanced technologies, policy leadership, and global expertise come together to accelerate solutions from pilot to scale. This is how innovation is translated into measurable impact, from the UAE to climate-vulnerable regions worldwide."
This year's FoodTech Challenge is organized by the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and Tamkeen, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, ne'ma (The National Food Loss and Waste Initiative), and Silal. The finalist cohort represents a diverse range of approaches to food system innovation, including advanced technologies for post-harvest preservation, waste-to-value conversion, precision agriculture, and resource-efficient food production.
Shelly Sundberg, Deputy Director of Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems at the Gates Foundation, said:
"The UAE FoodTech Challenge plays an important role in advancing practical, scalable, and accessible solutions that can strengthen food security across underserved and climate-vulnerable populations. At the Gates Foundation, we are proud to support initiatives that translate innovation into real-world impact, helping food systems reduce loss, improve sustainability, and expand access to safe, affordable and nutritious food. These are essential to building more resilient food systems in the face of climate and economic pressures."
Khuloud Nowais, Chief Sustainability Officer at Emirates Foundation and Secretary General of the ne'ma Steering Committee, said:
"Seeing the caliber of this year's winners and the diversity of their solutions has been truly inspiring. As a judge, it has been encouraging to witness the growing sophistication of solutions that address food loss and waste challenges. At ne'ma, we are proud to support initiatives that turn ideas into actionable, lasting impact for food systems."
The UAE FoodTech Challenge identifies and accelerates agri-food technology solutions that boost food production and reduce food loss and waste in arid and increasingly climate-stressed environments. Attracting technology-driven innovations that can be refined in the UAE and scaled internationally, the competition directly supports the UAE's long-term food security ambitions and contributes to global food system resilience.
To learn more about the FoodTech Challenge, visit: www.foodtechchallenge.com
See YouTube videos of the winners here:
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
The UAE FoodTech Challenge 2026 Winners to Join National Agri-Tech Ecosystem and Support Global Food Security
