Vimotek wins European space tender

Luleå-based Vimotek AB has won a European space defence procurement.

The European Defence Fund, EDF, has procured projects in the cyber, ground, air, sea and space domains.

Vimotek will deliver a hardware and software product for satellites and rovers that improves the ability to create and analyse a situational awareness picture, navigate and dock with other craft: the Rendezvous and Proximity Operations product, RPO.

Vimotek is part of a consortium with 11 other companies in a project, ‘Bodyguard’, to develop and deliver autonomous capability of individual satellites to create their own space situational awareness. This will then be used by AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning) to increase the satellite’s ability to detect, assess and manage various threats to itself, both defensively and offensively.

The Bodyguard project is valued at a total of €6.5 million over 3 years. It is coordinated by Agenium Space in France, and involves partners from Greece, Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Finland, Latvia, Denmark and Sweden. In total, EDF has selected 54 projects with a total value of €1 billion.

“We are honoured to be part of the Bodyguard project, which represents a significant advance in the ability to protect autonomous space assets. This collaboration fits perfectly with our mission to enable space industrialisation, as security is crucial for the future space economy,”said Anatoliy Valentirov, CEO of Vimotek AB.

Based in Luleå, Sweden, Vimotek develops solutions for space automation and efficient space industrialisation. The company delivers machine vision, sensors, motion control and calculations with AI for the space and defence sector. The company is working with both ESA BIC Sweden and is part of the Arctic Business incubator programme.