Solar Cell Breakthrough: CESI Lands Historic Contract

CESI has recently inked a landmark contract with SpaceTech GmbH, a leading global company in the space sector. The agreement, featuring options valued at over one hundred million euros across five years, involves CESI supplying hundreds of thousands of solar cells to equip eight satellites per month. These American-made satellites aim to bring internet access to every corner of the globe, including the poles.

In addition to the contract, in the summer of 2023, CESI and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) signed a deal worth 13 million euros as part of the “Space Factory” project, aimed at boosting CESI’s production capacity. This agreement facilitates the introduction of digitalized production processes, new monitoring technologies, and the use of cutting-edge machinery.

“The contract with SpaceTech is not just a testament to our technological expertise, but also to our ability to be an integral part of ambitious projects. Space technologies will increasingly support terrestrial applications, thereby improving life on our planet. This implies deep expertise for their development in the years to come. CESI is ready for this challenge,” states Domenico Villani, CEO of the Group.

The global context shows a rapidly growing Space Economy, with market value estimates exceeding 1 trillion euros by 2030, and Italy plays a prominent role in this sector. With significant investments, including funds from the PNRR and the Artemis program, as well as contributions to the European Space Agency (ESA), Italy aims to further solidify its presence in the field.

Within this context, CESI, using proprietary technologies, has designed, produced, and tested solar cells in its Milan laboratories that power over one hundred civilian satellites for clients in twenty-five countries worldwide. Our Group has developed several revolutionary technologies, including flexible cells that can conform to the surfaces of satellites or spacecraft, and Integral Assembly. The latter focuses on optimizing the cell assembly process, eliminating the need for glass covers, thereby reducing both the weight and launch costs of satellites. CESI’s cells are qualified for both low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. Lastly, our Company is one of the four global producers of these products and the only one with full European control.

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