Cailabs selected as a France 2030 awardee for its “First Factory” project
Cailabs has been selected as a laureate of the France 2030 investment plan for its First Factory project—an important step in the industrialization of our optical ground station (OGS) technology.
A project at the heart of French space sovereignty
With First Factory, Cailabs will build a dedicated production site to mass-produce its optical ground stations, capable of establishing high-speed laser links between satellites and the Earth.
This project will enable us to:
- scale up our production capacity to meet the growing demand of the space communications market,
- strengthen France’s industrial sovereignty in a key strategic sector,
- and create over 100 direct jobs at our Rennes site in the coming years.
This support from the French government through France 2030 is part of a broader investment strategy to build a stronger, more sustainable, and more competitive tech industry.
👉 The project is being highlighted as part of the Comité interministériel de l’innovation (#C2i) chaired by the Prime Minister, through a nationwide campaign to showcase France 2030 laureates.
France 2030: A long-term commitment for Cailabs
This is not Cailabs’ first France 2030 award. In 2024, we were also selected for the COROSSOL project, which aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of a network of optical ground stations (OGS) linked to a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite.
We are also proud to collaborate with AddUp, Cetim – Centre technique des industries mécaniques, Dassault Systèmes, ISP System and Vistory on the MASSIF project.
Also supported under France 2030, MASSIF aims to develop a metal additive manufacturing machine capable of producing very large, complex parts tailored to the demanding requirements of the defense, aerospace, and space sectors.
🔍 MASSIF represents a major opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize costs across the entire value chain, and increase industrial agility in highly demanding environments.
A new factory to power French innovation on a global scale
The First Factory project is more than an industrial investment—it’s an economic, technological, and strategic lever that places Cailabs at the crossroads of deeptech and space.
It confirms our role as a key player in optical communication for the NewSpace era, while strengthening our local roots in Rennes, France.