Irish space tech firm OCE signs €25m deal with Chinese company

NovaUCD-based business designs tools to support firms in space and aerospace sectors

Space is the place for OCE Technology, which has just signed a major deal

OCE Technology, a company that designs software tools to support companies developing embedded systems for the space and aerospace industries, has signed a €25 million five-year deal to supply satellite subsystems to a Chinese company.

The business, which has its headquarters at NovaUCD, University College Dublin’s innovation hub, has made the agreement with Shanghai Aerospace Technology Control Institute (SACTI).

This is an organisation of 2,200 employees that designs and manufactures guidance, navigation and control systems for launch vehicles, satellites, and vehicles for manned space flight.

Software tools

OCE develops software tools, real-time embedded system design and system-on-a-chip (SoC) and system-in-package (SiP) hardware products, primarily for the space sector. Its subsystems technology can be used to bring a satellite into a specific orientation in space and to a desired spin rate.

READ MORE

"This new agreement with SACTI will enable OCE to offer the latest proven satellite attitude control systems. OCE's agreements with Chinese space organisations are the first of their kind worldwide," said the company's chief executive, Barry Kavanagh.

An Enterprise Ireland-client, OCE, is working with customers in Europe and South Korea to customise its products for the fast-growing commercial satellite market.

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor is a former Irish Times business journalist