The new funding from ESA Member States builds on successful awards with NextWorks, Lasting Software, OQ Technology, Celeste, AWTG and Keysight & Sateliot.
March 2, 2026, Barcelona: GSMA Foundry and the European Space Agency (ESA) today announced new funding worth up to €100 million for projects aimed at accelerating the convergence of the space and mobile industries. This new initiative, funded by ESA, aims to scale innovations in AI for non-terrestrial networks (NTN), direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity, 5G/6G hubs and 6G innovation.
Building on the success of the GSMA Foundry and ESA partnership established in 2024, this significant financial commitment from ESA is designed to accelerate the commercialization of hybrid networks and help ensure seamless global connectivity through the integration of terrestrial and satellite assets. The funding is focused on four strategic pillars, focusing on:
- IA x NTN: Leverage artificial intelligence to orchestrate dynamic spectrum and traffic across multi-orbit terrestrial and satellite networks.
- Direct to device (D2D): Support pilots that deliver standards-based connectivity directly to consumer smartphones and IoT devices around the world.
- 5G/6G concentrators: Establish collaborative testbeds for operators and developers to co-create the next generation of hybrid network infrastructure.
- 6G Innovation: Focus on early-stage 6G technologies, such as edge intelligence and advanced IoT, emphasizing areas where satellite-terrestrial convergence will play a crucial role.
Laurent Jaffart, ESA Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, said: “Our Member States' unwavering support for our programmes, particularly during the ESA Ministerial Council (CM25), has made this collaboration with GSMA Foundry possible. At Mobile World Congress, we are collectively marking a pivotal moment for the convergence of Europe's space and telecoms sectors. By offering access to funding for AI, NTN and D2D, we are not only supporting the development of the technology: we are preparing for the global, integrated 6G infrastructure of tomorrow.”
Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer at GSMA, added: “By combining the reach of the mobile industry with the space expertise of ESA, we are opening a new era of connectivity. This funding and our showcase demonstrate that hybrid networks are no longer a concept, they are a commercial reality. The collaborative advances seen today signal a radical change for digital transformation, making seamless and universal connectivity possible even in the most remote regions. Together, we are driving innovation that will empower businesses, revolutionize industries, and bring transformative benefits to society as a whole.”
ESA and GSMA Foundry NTN showcase at MWC26 Barcelona
The ESA and GSMA Foundry NTN exhibition is a highlight of the New Frontiers zone in Hall 6. With fifteen live demonstrations bringing space-mobile convergence to life, the exhibition will include standards-based D2D connectivity, NTN orchestration, AI-powered networks and early 6G innovation illustrating how hybrid terrestrial and satellite architectures extend coverage to drive resilience and enable new services. The demos will be supported by Accedo, Autodiscovery, AWTG, Celeste, Filtronic, Keysight & Sateliot, Lasting Software, MediaTek & Rohde & Schwarz, Microamp, MinWave Technologies, NextWorks, Nokia RXRM, OQ Technology, Photon Industries and Qoherent.
On Monday at 12:00, Laurent Jaffart, ESA Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, will join GSMA Chief Technology Officer Alex Sinclair on the New Frontiers stage to discuss ESA's €100 million funding announcement.
Additionally, Fabrizio De Paolis, ESA's Head of 5G/6G Implementation, will moderate a panel on NTN experimentation in the New Frontiers Scenario on Tuesday at 10:30, while Antonio Franchi, Head of ESA's Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity programme, will speak at the Satellite and NTN Summit on Wednesday at 10:00. Discussions will outline the roadmap to 6G and the role of space in real-world sustainable deployments for operators, developers and enterprises.
At the ESA NTN Showcase and GSMA Foundry, ESA will offer live satellite demonstrations on Monday at 2pm and Tuesday at 11am and 2pm, allowing visitors to see how Europa will explore the Moon over the next decade. The live demonstration brings the capabilities of LUNA (Europe's gateway to the lunar surface) to the world stage, showing how advanced connectivity, robotics, mixed reality and satellite communications will support ESA's role in the international return to the Moon.
The LUNA-themed demonstration at MWC26 showcases the future of space exploration powered by advanced European connectivity. Companies from across Europe – including Nokia RXRM, Photon Industries, Autodiscovery and Microamp – are joining ESA to show how 5G mmWave, satellite networks, mixed reality and robotics will make it possible to remotely control lunar landing modules, rovers and even humanoid robots from Earth or the International Space Station (ISS).
A key feature is a mixed reality model of ESA's Argonaut lunar lander, the European lander designed to transport scientific payloads to the Moon. Visitors can watch Nokia RXRM's ultra-high-resolution 360° camera transmitting from inside the LUNA facility and remotely operate a satellite-connected ESA training rover, demonstrating how astronauts and experts could one day work together seamlessly across Earth-Moon distances.
Celebrating the winners of the GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards
The GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards ceremony held on Sunday, March 1 at the iconic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya also recognized the winners of ESA and GSMA Foundry Challenges 2025 for their innovative contributions to the ecosystem in the following categories:
- AWTG: Winner of the Fixed Mobile Convergence for TN-NTN Networks category, recognized for offering an innovative solution that allows seamless integration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.
- Keysight and Sateliot: winners of the 6G innovation category for its innovative advancements in next-generation mobile network technology.
- Lasting Software: Recognized as the first award winner to receive funding for 5G/6G concentrators in Romania, supporting collaborative development and innovation in hybrid network infrastructure.
- NextWorks: Winner of the NTN x Open Gateway Challenge for NTN's pioneering integration into mobile core architectures in 5G, IoT, private networks and GSMA's Open Gateway API. This project stands out as the first initiative completed with funding from ESA x GSMA Foundry.
- OQ Technologies & Celeste: Winners in the D2D Connectivitycategory, recognized for its achievements in D2D connectivity, expanding global reach for consumer smartphones and IoT devices.
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About the GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization that unifies the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver critical innovation for positive business environments and social change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA offers its members three broad pillars: connectivity for good, industry services and solutions, and outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, addressing today's biggest societal challenges, supporting the technology and interoperability that make mobile devices work, and providing the world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to learn more at gsma.com
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe's gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organization, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space generates benefits for the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are associate members.
ESA has established formal cooperation with four EU Member States. Canada participates in some ESA programs under a cooperation agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, the ESA is able to undertake programs and activities that go far beyond the reach of any European country. It works in particular with the EU in the implementation of the Galileo and Copernicus programs, as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
Find out more about ESA at www.esa.int
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