We interview José Antonio Álvarez de Arcaya, director of institutional relations and strategy at Thales Alenia Space in Spain.
1.- Could you explain why Thales Alenia Space chose Madrid, Spain, to establish several of its key activities?
Thales Alenia Space’s decision to set up in Madrid dates back to the late 1980s. The former Alcatel Space [renamed Thales Alenia Space in 2007] decided to open a company in Spain in 1988 in response to the growing space activity in our country driven by participation in European Space Agency (ESA) programmes, a growth that was endorsed a year later with the creation of the Spanish satellite operator Hispasat. Madrid concentrates a large part of the Spanish space sector and was already at that time an ideal location to establish our company.
2.- What are the main activities of Thales Alenia Space in Madrid? Could you tell us more about this Thales Alenia Space centre?
In the 36 years of activity in Madrid, we have participated in more than 660 satellites for all types of space missions: telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, exploration of the solar system and the universe, spacecraft and launchers. We are currently involved in multiple programmes for space agencies around the world, including the European Commission’s Copernicus programme for environmental monitoring, and the development of the second generation of Galileo, the European satellite navigation system. In Madrid we are specialists in satellite communications systems and Earth observation systems. We have capabilities for the development of activities across the entire value chain, from the design and production of electronics, radio frequency and data processing units, to the integration of large payloads and entire satellites in our satellite integration room in Tres Cantos.
3.- To what extent does being based in the Madrid region contribute to the (international) development of Thales in the space and defence fields?
Thales Alenia Space has an international vocation and we have 16 sites in eight European countries, including our headquarters in Tres Cantos. From Madrid we have a distinctly international projection: most of our projects are for customers abroad, from the USA to South Korea and Japan.
4.- In your opinion, what are the strengths of the Madrid ecosystem for actors in the space and defence sector?
As I mentioned before, one of Madrid’s strengths is that it concentrates a very important part of the Spanish space sector. This is an advantage when it comes to collaborating with other companies and entities linked to space activities. In addition, Madrid has optimal infrastructures for the development of activities with a strong international component. There is also an extensive network of auxiliary companies that act as subcontractors on a large number of projects.
5.- What can you tell us about partnerships with local actors (companies, start-ups, universities, research centres, etc.)? Could you give us some examples?
At Thales Alenia Space we frequently collaborate with other companies in the sector, both in domestic programmes (such as the manufacture of Hisdesat’s SpainSat NG satellites) and with ESA. We have strong links with the two satellite operators, Hispasat and Hisdesat, both located in Madrid, with whom we collaborate on numerous projects, such as the development of the first quantum key transmission system from geostationary orbit (QKD-GEO), which we lead together with Hispasat. We also collaborate with various research centres, such as CAB-INTA, and of course with Madrid universities, from which we also draw on in the acquisition of new talent.
6.- What are Thales Alenia Space’s development projects in Madrid? How many jobs do you expect to generate in Madrid in the short and medium term, and what kind of profiles do you need?
Some of the main projects we are currently developing have already been mentioned above: Copernicus, the second generation of Galileo, SpainSat NG and QKD-GEO. To mention a few more, we are working on 9 missions to the Moon for ESA, NASA, South Korea and Turkey; and we are also participating in NASA’s NEO-Surveyor mission, which will track and characterise asteroids potentially dangerous for life on Earth. In terms of employment generation, we currently have more than 450 people working at our Tres Cantos headquarters, and we are continuously looking for new profiles, especially in the technological and scientific fields.
7.- What is your vision for the future of the defence and space sector, and what role will Thales Alenia Space and Madrid play in that future?
The space sector is in full growth and transformation. Europe must remain committed to boosting a sector that is strategic from both an economic and security point of view, in order to maintain its competitiveness and autonomy vis-à-vis other world powers. In this context, Madrid and Spain have an important role to play and at Thales Alenia Space we are prepared to continue to be an important player on the European and world stage. We position ourselves as a leading company that develops a network of suppliers also located in Madrid.
8.- Do you have any advice for companies in the sector that are still hesitating to choose Madrid as a place to develop? What are the attractions that Madrid can offer to foreign entrepreneurs and investors in the defence and space sectors?
Those mentioned above, to which we can add the recent initiatives for aid and subsidies for infrastructures, which are an important tool for industrial development.
9.- Is there any emblematic event or success story that symbolises the development of Thales Alenia Space in Madrid?
Last week the SpainSat NG I satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. For Thales Alenia Space in Madrid this is an emblematic milestone, as it is the first geostationary telecommunications satellite whose communication module (which houses the UHF, X and military Ka-band communications payloads) has been fully integrated in Spain, in our satellite integration room in Tres Cantos. This is the largest satellite module ever integrated in our country: a 6-metre high, 2-tonne module equipped with cutting-edge technology in the field of space communications, made up of hundreds of sophisticated electronic units.
10.- How is your collaboration with the region and especially with Invest in Madrid?
We have a good relationship with the Community of Madrid and with Invest in Madrid, and we have collaborated with them on several occasions. As I mentioned earlier, a very interesting financing instrument is that of infrastructures and equipment.
11.- What areas of improvement or specific actions within its competences do you think the administration can take on to encourage investment in your sector or related sectors?
For the space industry, it is essential for the administration to support the sector, promoting both domestic programmes and participation in international programmes.