This settlement was accompanied by FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region (FRM GmbH) with the support of the Darmstadt Economic Development Agency.
Hanno Benz, Lord Mayor of the City of Darmstadt, City of Science: "Aerospace history has been written in Darmstadt since 1908. The August-Euler-Airfield was the first airfield in Germany, and the first German-powered aircraft were built in the adjoining aircraft factory. With EUMETSAT and ESOC, Darmstadt is one of the few locations in the world with two independent space control centres. As 'Europe's gateway to space', ESOC has been responsible for the operation of all ESA satellites and the necessary network of ground stations since 1967. In this respect, I am particularly pleased that Warpspace, an innovative company that is committed to the further development of aerospace technology, is coming to Darmstadt. I am convinced that we offer Warpspace Europe optimal conditions to realize its ambitious goals here."
Warpspace was founded in 2016 as a spin-off of the University of Tsukuba in Japan with the aim of developing “WarpHub InterSat”, a medium Earth orbit-based inter-satellite communication system based on laser communication which is a satellite network system that will communicate with other satellites in low Earth orbit by means of optical communication and forward the received data to ground stations. The WarpHub InterSat will make it possible to collect Earth observation data in near real-time at a high data throughput, thus accelerating disaster relief or improving the efficiency of resource management.
Warpspace's team consists of people who have a history of developing optical inter-satellite links, as well as specialists with multinational backgrounds from the US and Europe. In 2020, Warpspace launched the experimental satellite "Nichirin", and by 2025 the company plans to launch the first data relay satellite. In addition to its Japanese headquarters in Tsukuba, Warpspace has offices in Washington D.C. and now also in Darmstadt.
In Europe, Warpspace is working with several partners to develop the satellites that will form the first satellite-to-satellite optical communications network service. Warpspace Europe in Darmstadt therefore not only acts as a development center, but also as a basis for cooperation with governments and companies in European countries. The engineering team in Europe will now accelerate collaboration with any EU-based partner company.
"The settlement of Warpspace clearly underlines that Frankfurt RheinMain is a perfect location for highly innovative companies. In addition to its international orientation and English-speaking specialists, our region also offers these companies the opportunity to establish and expand contacts with their European partners. In addition to our proximity to ESOC, companies from the aerospace industry will also find a wide range of innovative software and engineering solutions, AI research and development, robotics, measurement and control technology, communication and navigation technology, and much more. We are particularly pleased that another Japanese company has found its way to our region. The importance of Frankfurt RheinMain as a location for Japanese companies is steadily increasing," says Eric Menges, President & CEO of FRM GmbH.
FRM GmbH, in coordination with the Darmstadt Economic Development Agency, accompanied Warpspace throughout the entire settlement process. Chihoko Günther, project manager for Japan at FRM GmbH, supported the company with location information, advised on questions relating to company formation, and established contact with relevant contacts in the region. Warpspace has been in contact with FRM GmbH since 2022.