Summary
In collaboration with ESA, the Phi-Lab at ESA’s European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre is calling for ideas (not research proposals) for technological challenges or “conundrums” at the intersection of space and sustainability, with a particular emphasis on technology convergence by combining the deep-tech areas Quantum, Materials, and Data.
Technology convergence is the process by which multiple technology domains combine and co-evolve, requiring coordination (integration, orchestration) to produce scalable, system-level solutions and competitive advantage.
Here, convergence is specifically understood as the integration of technologies with the potential to unlock new commercially viable systems or services.
This Call for Conundrums aims to identify neglected, high-impact, technological bottlenecks that could enable such a step-change in sustainable space systems and resource-efficient mission architectures. We are interested in challenges where at least two of Phi-Lab Switzerland’s three focus areas - Quantum, Materials, and Data - meaningfully intersect.
A strong submission clearly indicates a plausible context of use, the type of commercial service or system that would be unlocked if the constraint is resolved, and why current technology or market structures fail to address it.
We seek upstream and enabling technologies that could make space missions, space infrastructure, and space-related industrial value chains more sustainable, resilient, resource-efficient, circular, repairable, or less dependent on critical resources.
We especially welcome problems that are “crazy but possible”: too complex, too interdisciplinary, or too neglected for conventional funding streams, but potentially transformative if addressed by the right collaborative teams.
By submitting your idea, you can help shape the scope of an upcoming Phi-Lab Switzerland research programme with several million CHF of total available funding, accessible to both academia and industry. Promising inputs may inform future open calls, workshops, and programme priorities.
Organisations from the public and private sectors are invited to participate.
What topics are we interested in?
Sustainability in space is a broad and rapidly growing field. For this reason, the Phi-Lab Switzerland is not seeking generic sustainability concepts, downstream services, or incremental improvements. Instead, we are looking for specific, upstream, technological conundrums that could unlock step-changes in how future space systems are designed, built, operated, maintained, repaired, reused, or decommissioned.
Future missions will need to do more with less: less mass, less power, fewer critical materials, fewer replacement parts, lower failure rates, reduced waste, and more autonomous operation. At the same time, space systems must become more resilient, more adaptable, and more commercially viable across longer mission lifetimes and harsher environments.
Addressing these challenges will require deep integration between disciplines. New materials may need embedded sensing and data-driven qualification. Data systems may need to optimise resource use, predict degradation, or support autonomous repair. Quantum technologies may enable ultra-sensitive monitoring, more efficient navigation, secure communication, or new diagnostic capabilities. Sustainable space technologies may therefore emerge not from one discipline alone, but from the intersection of several.
This Call for Conundrums therefore asks:
What are the neglected, upstream, technological bottlenecks at the intersection of Quantum, Materials, and Data that hold the potential for commercial viability and could make future space systems more sustainable, resource-efficient, resilient, circular, or long-lived?
The future lies in bold combination!
Scope of the Call
We are looking for conundrums that address upstream or enabling technologies for sustainable space systems. Proposed ideas should involve at least two of the following Phi-Lab Switzerland focus areas:
- Quantum (e.g. quantum sensing, quantum communication, quantum timing, quantum-enabled diagnostics, quantum-enhanced measurement, or quantum technologies that contribute to more efficient, resilient, or sustainable systems)
- Materials (e.g. advanced materials, processing, manufacturing, circularity, durability, multifunctionality, degradation, repair, replacement of critical materials, sustainable production, or end-of-life considerations)
- Data (e.g. onboard data handling, autonomous decision-making, digital twins, predictive maintenance, trustworthy data, lifecycle modelling, resource optimisation, qualification data, or mission operations intelligence)
Technology Areas of Interest
We are looking for conundrums in - but not limited to - the following areas:
- Sustainable and Circular Space Materials
- Lifetime Extension, Degradation Monitoring, and Predictive Maintenance
- Resource-Efficient Manufacturing and Qualification
- In-Space Repair, Reuse, and Adaptation
- Low-SWaP and Energy-Efficient Mission Systems
- Sustainable Space Infrastructure Beyond Earth
- Trustworthy Lifecycle Data for Sustainable Space Systems
… and wherever bold ideas push the frontier.
What we are not looking for
This Call for Conundrums is not focused on downstream applications of space for sustainability. We are therefore not seeking ideas primarily centred on:
- Earth observation for climate, agriculture, biodiversity, forestry, oceans, or disaster monitoring.
- Sustainability analytics or reporting platforms based mainly on satellite data.
- Carbon accounting, ESG dashboards, or environmental monitoring services.
- General software applications without a clear upstream space technology bottleneck.
- Incremental improvements to already well-funded or mature technology areas.
- Concepts that involve only one Phi-Lab focus area without meaningful interdisciplinary integration.
The focus is on enabling technologies for more sustainable space systems, not on using space data to observe sustainability challenges on Earth.
What happens next?
Phi-Lab at ESDI implements a “top-down” and “bottom-up” approach for defining the scope of its research programmes. ESA technical experts provide the “top-down” input on relevant topics and challenges of interest, whilst experts from academia and industry are invited to provide their input on what exciting and potentially neglected step-changes are worth pursuing. The “Call for Conundrums” is one such invitation to contribute, others include workshops and dedicated presentations to the community. This approach strives to provide ambitious, relevant, and use-driven programmes that not only provide high-value outcomes for ESA and the space community but also for actors not traditionally associated with the field of space research.
Once the relevant inputs have been collected and considered, the programme managers design and release the call for proposals, which is expected to open in autumn 2026, with a prospective selection of projects at the end of the year. Each successful project can apply for several hundred kCHF of Phi-Lab funding, with a maximum period of two years for each project. Specific participating conditions will apply and will be published along the call for submissions by the Phi-Lab at ESDI.
Submission Requirements – Structured Input (DIDI)
To enable systematic evaluation and integration of submitted conundrums into ESA programme design, a minimum set of structured information should be provided with each submission.
This information feeds ESA’s Deep-Tech Intelligence Discovery Infrastructure (DIDI), supporting:
- mapping of relevant actors and capabilities
- identification of cross-domain linkages (Quantum, Materials, Data,...)
- preparation of future calls, collaborations, and programme priorities.
The required information, such as entity information, roles, expertise, and capabilities, is listed in the attached document "DIDI Contribution Template – Call for Conundrums for Sustainability × Space", as well as in the Submission Form under the header "Deep‑Tech Intelligence Discovery Infrastructure (DIDI) - Affiliation & Contact "
What is Phi-Lab Switzerland @ ESDI?
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI) in Switzerland, implemented by ESA, is dedicated to pioneering advancements in space technology and accelerate its commercialisation. The Phi-Lab Switzerland is one platform hosted at ESDI, operated by Paul Scherrer Institute on behalf of Switzerland and ESA, and is one of many Phi-Labs in Europe dedicated to running impactful research programmes. Phi-Lab Switzerland focuses on advancing technologies in the areas of “Quantum”, “Materials”, and “Data” for space and terrestrial applications with the goal of generating a substantial contribution for Switzerland, ESA, and its Member States. We tackle use-driven technological challenges that represent critical bottlenecks in our areas of interest and transform them into breakthroughs with real-world impact. By fostering symbiotic interdisciplinary collaborations and seeding bold technology trajectories, we aim to unlock scientific and commercial opportunities and drive step shifts for space missions, industry, and beyond.
Find out more about Phi-Lab Switzerland and ESDI, and stay up to date with future calls and events via our website and newsletter.
Footnotes
[1]: "conundrum": according to the Merriam-Webster definition, a conundrum is "an intricate (having many complexly interrelating parts or elements) and difficult problem."
