Heraklion: ITE signed a memorandum with OHB for space

The Foundation for Research and Technology (ITE), based in Heraklion, Crete, signed a memorandum of cooperation with space company OHB, aimed at developing space technology, according to a relevant announcement released on Thursday, September 3, 2026. The agreement places the research institute in direct cooperation with an international player in the space industry, strengthening Crete’s presence in a field of research that traditionally concentrates in few centers worldwide. OHB operates internationally in the field of space technology, a sector that has been developing steadily at the European level in recent years.

ITE is one of the largest research centers in the country, with strong presence in Heraklion, where institutes operate in fields such as computer science, materials science, biomedical research, and computational sciences, with research work that has recognition beyond Greece. The institute has maintained for years collaborations with universities, research centers, and companies both in Greece and abroad, developing expertise in multiple scientific fields and participating in research programs of international scope. The signing of a memorandum with a company in the space industry comes to be added to the broader research footprint of the institute, opening a new field of collaborations beyond the sectors where it already has significant and recognized presence.

The participation of a research body from Crete in cooperation with a space technology company acquires particular symbolic weight for the local scientific community, as it connects the island with a high-tech and value-added sector that traditionally concentrates in few research centers internationally, far from the major urban centers of continental Europe. Such cooperation could also function as a pole of attraction for new researchers and engineers interested in remaining or returning to Crete to work on cutting-edge research subjects, rather than seeking opportunities exclusively abroad, a phenomenon that has concerned the Greek research community for years. In parallel, it strengthens the profile of Heraklion as a hub of research and innovation, beyond the traditional image of the island as a tourist destination, highlighting the dynamics the Cretan scientific community can have at an international level.

The announcement does not yet specify the individual terms of the memorandum, such as its duration, the amount of any funding, or the specific research programs that will result from the cooperation. The ITE is expected to provide more details about the content of the cooperation with OHB in the coming period, as contacts between the two sides progress and the next steps of the cooperation are finalized, with the local scientific community watching developments with interest.