Deusto to build its first university satellite in partnership with Satlantis

The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Deusto and the space technology company Satlantis have signed a collaboration agreement to launch the Satlantis–Deusto Technology Lab, a unique training and development space that will connect the academic environment with the real-world challenges of the space sector.

The lab has been created with the aim of providing students with an exceptional hands-on learning experience, through their direct involvement in the design, development, and testing of a nanosatellite. During the 2025-2026 academic year, a multidisciplinary team of students will take on key technical roles, such as mechanical design, electronics and telecommunication systems.

Satlantis, headquartered in the Basque Country, is an internationally recognised company in the New Space sector, specialising in advanced Earth observation solutions from space. The company has developed high- and very-high-resolution optical cameras for small satellites, used in scientific, environmental, and infrastructure missions, among others. With a 100% success record in its Earth observation missions and numerous additional missions planned, Satlantis has established itself as a leader in the sector, bringing its technological expertise and applied innovation model to the lab, giving students firsthand experience of the real challenges in the space industry.

For Andoni Eguiluz, Dean of Deusto’s Faculty of Engineering, “this lab represents a new way of linking university education with technological and industrial reality”. Our students don’t just learn content; they apply what they’ve learned in a real-world context, collaborating with a leading company in the aerospace sector to build a small satellite that may one day carry out its work in space”.

For his part, Aitor Conde Rodríguez, CTO of Satlantis, emphasised that “through this collaboration, we aim not only to train the future professionals of the space sector but also to inspire a new generation committed to exploration and innovation. The space sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, and the Basque Country must be an active part of this new technological wave".

The Satlantis–Deusto Lab will also help develop skills such as teamwork, technical decision-making in complex environments, and results orientation, key competences for training professionals ready to face today’s technological and social challenges. Led by the People (Human Resources) division of Satlantis, this initiative marks the beginning of a joint effort to develop young talent, foster collaboration between university and industry, and build an ecosystem that promotes innovation and sustainable growth in the space sector.