Space Brewery founded as an association

Um dies zu erreichen, sind die Vernetzung und der Austausch zwischen den verschiedenen Akteuren entscheidend. Denn wie sich im Laufe der letzten Monate immer wieder gezeigt hat, gibt es viele Gemeinsamkeiten, die über Unternehmens- und Branchengrenzen hinausgehen. Deutlich wird dies auch beim Blick auf die Gründer, die sowohl aus Start-ups als auch aus renommierten Raumfahrtunternehmen kommen. Mit Moustafa Elhag (Berns Engineers GmbH), Luís Ferreira (Airbus Space & Defence), Dr. Markus Geiss (DcubeD), Thomas Grübler (OroraTech), Johanna Pardo (Isar Aerospace), Dr. Thomas Sinn (DcubeD) und Himanshi Singhal (Telespazio/EUMETSAT) ist der Verein bereits bei seiner Gründung breit und professionell aufgestellt. Beste Voraussetzungen also, um die bayerische Industriekultur im Zeichen eines neuen Raumfahrtzeitalters in die Zukunft zu führen.

Professional and private NewSpace network at once

This requires not only expertise in the specifics of the industry, but also the ability to look beyond its own horizons. NewSpace is characterized by the link between space and non-space stakeholders. The founding team aims to get non-space actors in particular excited about space technology in a chilled, engaging, productive and collaborative way. An indispensable component for this is a unique online platform that enables an almost real-world networking experience. “However, SpaceBrewery is not just another online webinar series,” emphasizes Dr. Markus Geiss.

We are a non-anonymous group of space experts and craftsperson and thus the place where passion and ideas for NewSpace are brewed in and around Bavaria. We create a platform for discussions, knowledge exchange and actions around NewSpace in Bavaria.

Dr. Markus Geiss, Space Brewery e.V.

Here, the audience is always involved in a creative way, for example at the “Talent Slam”, where the tables are turned and companies pitch for talent instead, or the formats “Behind the Scenes” or “Space Swag Night”. A special highlight took place at the beginning of 2022 and was titled “Bavaria Goes To Space”. The name says it all, as several Bavarian NewSpace start-ups like OroraTech or DcubeD sent their innovations into space, which also brought media attention

Public awareness for NewSpace as the key to sustainable innovation

While individual missions or rocket launches occasionally make it into mainstream news coverage, there is often a lack of in-depth discussion. As a result, most of the broader public misinterprets spaceflight as a waste of money. A look at the history books shows that ambitious projects may inspire enthusiasm, but this is not enough. Sven Meyer-Brunswick, C3PO at Mynaric, also illustrates this point: "Of course there are long-term visions of amazing things we can do in space, but the most immediate and important focus is to create benefits on Earth. We only have a few people in space but 8 billion people on Earth. So the big opportunity and focus of the space industry is to create solutions in space for problems on down here. It's hugely important to inform the public about this and show them what the space industry already contributes today and what it will be contributing in the future. And Space Brewery plays a very important role in just that."

Space Brewery as international stage for Bavarian NewSpace players

The aim of giving Bavarian NewSpace companies an international stage also takes on a special significance. Munich and its surroundings provide the perfect blend for the NewSpace industry to thrive as the city became one of the growing hotspots for innovation, enriched by a continuous flow of ideas across industries, large amounts of innovation capital, and an excellent research environment. Space Brewery e.V. leverages all that by creating a forum where non-space and space come together and propel further innovation and partnerships in an informal, fun and relaxed environment. For Jonas Kellner, Head of Marketing at RFA (Rocket Factory Augsburg), this is also part of the secret to success: “What could be better than exchanging ideas about the latest projects with like-minded people over a beer?” Space Brewery has a few events coming up in the next few months, stay tuned through their website, Meetup and LinkedIn for the latest updates.