Xjenza Malta, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, hosted an ESA PECS Information Day in preparation for the launch of Malta’s 4th Plan for European Cooperating States (PECS) funding call with a total budgetary allocation of €1.75 million. The event was organised to support Malta-based entities, particularly industry and private sector operators, in accessing ESA funding and translating their capabilities into competitive space-related proposals.
The 4th PECS Call will make €1.75 million available for Malta-based entities seeking to develop projects connected to the space sector. This forms part of Malta’s continued cooperation with ESA and reflects Xjenza Malta’s ongoing work to increase access to funding for local companies, researchers, and innovators, enabling them to expand research, development, and innovation activity within Malta’s emerging space economy.
The PECS Information Day provided practical guidance on the PECS application process, including eligibility, proposal preparation, project scope, technical expectations, and ESA’s evaluation procedures. Industry representatives present also had the opportunity to hold one-to-one meetings with ESA technical representatives, allowing them to discuss potential project ideas, clarify viability considerations, and better understand how their expertise could be developed into viable PECS proposals.
Xjenza Malta, through its Space Programmes & Engagement Unit continues to serve as Malta’s institutional bridge with ESA, with a clear focus on opening practical routes for local industry to participate in European space programmes. Xjenza Malta thus plays a critical role in ensuring that Malta’s participation in ESA structures translates into concrete opportunities for companies, start-ups, researchers, and service providers operating from Malta.
The call is not limited to traditional aerospace organisations. The modern space economy includes upstream, downstream, and space-derived activities, ranging from technology development and satellite data applications to legal, financial, insurance, corporate, digital, and advisory services that support the wider sector. Through the forthcoming PECS call, Maltese entities and private bodies may explore projects ranging from feasibility studies and concept validation to applied research, technology development, and innovation-driven activities.
The PECS Information Day reinforced Malta’s wider strategic direction in the space domain, with Xjenza Malta continuing to support the development of a credible national space ecosystem aligned with EU priorities and responsive to Malta’s industrial, technological, and research strengths.
The 4th ESA PECS Call will open for applications on 4 June and represents an important opportunity for Maltese industry to move from early engagement to direct participation, and from potential capabilities to concrete project development.
