{"id":20066,"date":"2025-08-11T11:01:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T09:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invest-in-toulouse.fr\/centres-of-excellence\/spatial\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T09:55:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T07:55:33","slug":"space","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.invest-in-toulouse.fr\/en\/centers-of-excellence\/space\/","title":{"rendered":"Space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Toulouse brings together the entire space industry value chain. Research, innovation, production: this is where the technologies that shape the future are born. Supported by cutting-edge infrastructure, talent trained in schools and universities of excellence, and an economic fabric resolutely focused on tomorrow, Toulouse is not only focused on space\u2026 it is the capital of space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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16,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

jobs<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1st<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

France’s number one region for jobs<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1\/4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of<\/strong> European jobs<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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World-renowned institutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Toulouse is home to a large number of major institutions in the space sector.
The CNES<\/strong> (Centre national d’\u00e9tudes spatiales), France’s space agency, has 1,700 employees in Toulouse. It develops and implements the national space programme. With a budget of over \u20ac3 billion in 2024 \u2013 the largest in Europe \u2013 part of which is dedicated to the ESA<\/strong> (European Space Agency), CNES participates in international projects such as Rosetta, Curiosity, Perseverance, the International Space Station (ISS) and the Artemis agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2019, the sector has also taken on a military dimension with the creation of the Space Command<\/strong>, followed by the NATO Space Centre of Excellence<\/strong>, which moved to Toulouse in 2023. Very recently, the BA101<\/strong> base also became France’s first space base.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"CNES\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
\u00a9 CNES \/ TRONQUART Nicolas, 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"M\u00e9t\u00e9opole\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
M\u00e9t\u00e9opole \u00a9 M\u00e9t\u00e9o France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Other leading players are also based in Toulouse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • M\u00e9t\u00e9o-France<\/strong>, the national weather forecasting centre<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Mercator Oc\u00e9an<\/strong>, specialising in ocean monitoring<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • ESSP<\/strong> (European Satellite Services Provider), which deploys EGNOS-Galileo applications<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • MEDES<\/strong>, centre of expertise in space physiology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The ESA has its ESA BIC Sud France<\/strong> incubator in Toulouse, dedicated to supporting innovative start-ups in the space sector.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Toulouse, a key base for industrial giants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Toulouse is home to the main sites of major European industrial groups in the space sector.
    Airbus<\/strong> designs and integrates telecommunications, Earth observation and scientific satellites there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thales<\/strong> Alenia Space also designs satellites and equipment there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The “Ville rose” is also home to companies that own constellations or operate in-orbit assets: Kineis, Loft Orbital, Infinite Orbits, Exotrail, Absolute Sensing, Astroscale and Univity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Toulouse also has a strong network of specialised SMEs, including Hemeria<\/strong> (platform and equipment manufacturer), U-Space<\/strong> (which has opened a mass production plant for nanosatellites), Anywaves<\/strong> (antennas for nanosatellites), Comat<\/strong> (mechanisms for space applications) and ACTIA<\/strong> (electronics). This industrial network covers the entire value chain: satellite and instrument construction, on-board equipment, on-board and ground software, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In addition to the industrial sector, numerous players are improving uses (Telespazio, CS-Group, Agenium, Look-up Space, Aldoria<\/strong>) and developing space applications (Magellium, Gisaia, Terranis<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Many other manufacturers are present in Toulouse, so please do not hesitate to contact us to identify partners specific to your activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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