“최고 수준 기술에 대한 접근을 보장합니다”
미국, 영국, 싱가포르에 지사를 두고 있는 미국 우주 기업 스파이어(Spire)는 2018년 초 룩셈부르크에 유럽 본부를 설립했다. 스파이어가 룩셈부르크의 관심을 갖게 된 계기는 룩셈부르크 주도의 우주 이니셔티브 스페이스리소스(SpaceResources.lu)와 룩셈부르크의 새로운 우주 경제에 대한 혁신적인 비전 때문이다. 피터 플래처(Peter Platzer) 스파이어 CEO는 룩셈부르크가 향후 10년 동안 ‘우주 경제’의 중심지가 되기 위한 모든 요소들을 확실히 가지고 있다고 말한다.
With offices in the US, the UK and Singapore, space data and analytics company Spire opened its European headquarters in Luxembourg at the beginning of 2018. It was the SpaceResources.lu initiative and Luxembourg’s innovative vision for the new space economy that first attracted the company’s interest. “Luxembourg definitely has all the ingredients for becoming a main centre for the space economy in the coming decade,” affirms CEO Peter Platzer.
Spire uses satellites to track ships, planes and weather phenomena in the most remote regions of the planet and provides high-value data analysis and forecasts to governmental and commercial clients all over the world. “Everything we do is global: our clients, our satellites and our people,” explains Mr Platzer. The fast-growing Luxembourg office – a new person is hired approximately every second week – works in a wide range of areas, including scientific research, product development and sales.
Being able to hire the most talented people in the field is crucial for the company and one of the reasons why it chose to come to Luxembourg. “For numerous reasons, in particular the difficulties of hiring international staff in the UK that might occur after Brexit, we needed to find a place that would ensure our access to the exceptionally skilled workforce that a space data and analytics company requires,” says Mr Platzer, who is hiring new staff both locally and internationally.
We needed to find a place that would ensure our access to the exceptionally skilled workforce that a space data and analytics company requires.
Spire counts the Luxembourg Future Fund among its shareholders, but Mr Platzer calls the setting up of a dedicated space fund “a very smart move”. He also welcomes the creation of the Luxembourg Space Agency as an instrument to further improve the business climate for new space companies. “If everything the government is talking about gets executed, this will probably be one of the single best places on Earth for space companies,” he concludes.
Photo credit: Spire Global, inc.