Space

Occitanie: shaping the future of space

A European leader in space

Occitanie is home to 14,000 space-related jobs and over 400 companies, including 60 pure players. The region accounts for 40% of France’s space workforce and 25% of Europe’s. It covers the full value chain, from design and integration to infrastructure, applications and end uses.  It hosts besides global leaders and emblematic constellations:

• Constellations: Globalstar, Iridium, Kinéis, Lightspeed
• Major industrial sites: CNES Toulouse Space Centre, Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space

A globally connected industrial base

Alongside its prime contractors, Occitanie brings together a network of SMEs, start-ups and engineering consultancies. The region’s NewSpace economy is accelerating, fuelled by SMEs and strong industrial partnerships.

• Prime contractors and operators: CNES, Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, CLS, ESSP, Telespazio, Météo France
• Engineering and service firms: Akka Technologies, Alten, Capgemini, CS Group, Expleo, Scalian, Sogeclair Aerospace, Sopra Steria
• NewSpace players: Hemeria, U-Space, Loft Orbital, Comat, Mecano ID, Erems, Anywaves
• Emerging innovators: Astroscale, Exotrail, Infinite Orbits, Look Up Space, Pangea Propulsion
• European competitiveness cluster : Aerospace Valley

Infrastructure and facilities

Occitanie provides advanced facilities for design, integration and testing, as well as complemented by scientific capabilities found nowhere else in Europe.

• Industrial infrastructure: clean rooms, test benches (Airbus, Thales Alenia Space), integration centres, environmental testing platforms
• Scientific and technological assets: high-performance computing (CERFACS, Météo France), robotics, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, remote sensing, oceanography

A world-class hub for talent and research

With 19,000 aerospace students and 9,000 researchers, Occitanie offers an academic and scientific environment of international standing. Its universities, engineering schools and research institutes contribute to both innovation and skills development.

• Leading Academic institutions: ISAE-SUPAERO, ENAC, ENSEEIHT, ENIT, INSA, Mines Albi and Alès, ICAM, TBS, National School of Meteorology, Universities of Toulouse and Montpellier, France’s first Space High School, Sirius Chair, Van Hallen Foundation
• Research institutes and laboratories: IRAP, ONERA, IRT Saint-Exupéry, Mercator Ocean, ANITI, National Center for Meteorology, SAFIRE, TeSA, Data Terra, CESBIO, GET, LEGOS, Midi-Pyrénées Observatory, Laero (Laboratory of Aerology)
• Quantum excellence: 200+ researchers and engineers (CEMES, CERFACS, IRIT, LAAS-CNRS, LAPLACE) in collaboration with IBM, ATOS, Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, CNES

Space Technologies serving people and the planet

Space applications developed in Occitanie address real-world challenges: Earth observation, climate monitoring, mobility, resource management and ecological transition.

• Key players: Airbus Defence and Space – Intelligence, CLS, Elastic Map, FFLY4U, Gisaïa, Harris, Kinéis, Magellium, Mercator Ocean, Metsafe, MobiGIS, Noveltis, Pixstart, Syntony, TerraNis, Thales Alenia Space, Murmuration, The FabSpace
• Flagship initiatives: Space Climate Observatory (SCO), Europe’s first nanosatellite constellation dedicated to IoT (Kinéis)

Strategic sovereignty and security

At the heart of Europe’s space sovereignty, Occitanie hosts key strategic centres and an ecosystem dedicated to cybersecurity, defence, and resilience.

• Strategic centres: French Space Command, NATO Space COE

• Regional cybersecurity hub: Cyber’OCC, with over 200 stakeholders
• Key companies: Thales SIX, Apsys, Airbus Cybersecurity, Sopra Steria, Scalian
• Core expertise: space cybersecurity, secure communications, IT resilience

Key figures: space in Occitanie

• Space dedicated jobs : 14,000
• Share of national workforce : 40%
• Share of European workforce : 25%
• Companies : 400 (including 60 pure players)
• Aerospace students : 19,000
• Aerospace researchers : 9,000
• Constellations : Globalstar, Iridium, Kinéis, Lightspeed
• Major industrial sites : CNES, Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space
• Innovation cluster : Aerospace Valley
• Defence and cybersecurity : centres Space Command, NATO Space COE, Cyber’OCC
• Quantum ecosystem : 200+ researchers and engineers (CEMES, CERFACS, IRIT, LAAS-CNRS…)