KARLSRUHE, Germany — Horizon Microtechnologies is accelerating the industrialisation of its advanced metallised polymer micro-additive manufacturing platform. Backed by a €500,000 investment through a two-year scale-up project known as IP-MASS, and further bolstered by its recent selection for ESA Phi-Lab Austria, the German technology firm is shifting its focus from custom prototyping to high-volume production tailored for the modern space economy.
The IP-MASS programme is actively expanding Horizon’s internal capabilities across printing, coating, and rigorous
process-verification. The primary objective is to scale up the manufacturing of specialized shielding housings and other passive radio frequency (RF) hardware. By optimizing these processes, the company aims to produce up to 50,000 precision-coated satellite components while establishing a repeatable, reliable manufacturing framework designed specifically to meet constellation-class demand rather than traditional, one-off prototype fabrication.
Bridging Polymers and Metals for Space-Grade Performance
At the core of Horizon’s operational model is a unique hybrid manufacturing approach that combines high-precision polymer 3D printing with advanced conformal metallisation and protective coatings. In this architecture, the underlying polymer provides the intricate and precise bulk geometry required for complex aerospace systems, while metal is applied strictly to the thickness required for functional performance.
According to the company, replacing conventional lightweight metals such as aluminum with metallised polymer components can yield a mass reduction of up to 40 percent. Furthermore, utilizing 3D printing delivers significant size, weight, and design advantages, alongside highly attractive economic efficiencies when compared directly with conventionally machined metal parts.
This focus on scalable, upstream space technologies aligns closely with the mission of ESA Phi-Lab Austria. Through its "Industrialization by Design" initiative, the organization supports commercial space technologies that demonstrate a clear pathway toward scalable, reliable, and cost-effective industrial manufacturing.
While shielding housings represent the immediate commercial beachhead, the scope of the IP-MASS project extends much further. Horizon is actively looking to engage with broader spacecraft and space-related terrestrial applications where the unique combination of polymer 3D printing and precision metallisation can effectively solve product requirements, overcome manufacturing constraints, or satisfy future volume demands.
Solving the Industrialisation Challenge
Andreas Frölich, CEO of Horizon Microtechnologies, emphasized that the current phase represents a critical operational evolution for the company.
"Horizon has proved that metallised polymer micro-AM can deliver far more than lightweight prototypes," said Frölich. "The next challenge is industrial: achieving the prices, lead times, repeatability, and throughput needed when a component is required not once or ten times, but thousands or tens of thousands of times."
Frölich added that while shielding housings provide a strong first industrialisation case, they do not represent the upper limit of the technology’s potential. The company is actively seeking to address components where lightweight printed geometry and functional metallic surfaces can create a tangible technical or manufacturing advantage for spacecraft developers.
This industrial scale-up builds directly on Horizon’s extensive space-readiness validation work. The company has previously subjected representative metallised polymer demonstrators to rigorous low Earth orbit (LEO) environmental testing regimens. These tests included evaluations for outgassing, temperature shock, radiation exposure, mechanical shock, material fatigue, and atomic-oxygen resistance, demonstrating that the materials can withstand the harsh realities of the space environment.
For modern, high-volume satellite architectures—such as those utilizing complex phased-array payloads—individual components may be integrated hundreds of times per spacecraft and deployed across constellations numbering in the hundreds of satellites. In these scenarios, component-level mass and cost savings compound rapidly, translating into significant programme-level gains for satellite operators and prime contractors.
Engaging the Space Community for Next-Generation Applications
The IP-MASS project also establishes a framework for direct collaboration with industry partners on applications with anticipated annual demand of 100 units or more. Crucially, potential partners are not required to bring a fully developed, finalized component to the table. Early-stage concepts are welcomed during the preliminary design phases, allowing design-for-manufacturability decisions to be integrated early in the development cycle.
"We do not want to assume that we already know every application where this technology can create value," Frölich noted. "The organisations designing next-generation spacecraft know where their product and manufacturing constraints are. We want them to bring those challenges to us so we can explore whether the technology is relevant and, where it is, potentially shape the manufacturing route together."
By moving past initial technology validation and into a robust industrial manufacturing platform, Horizon is positioning itself to support the hardware demands of next-generation satellite constellations. Simultaneously, the company is inviting the wider aerospace community to help identify which specialized applications should be prioritized for industrialisation next.
Regional Ecosystem and the Green Space Center
Horizon’s ongoing development is deeply rooted in the thriving aerospace ecosystem of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company is an active member of the Green Space Center, an initiative supported by the State of Baden-Württemberg and hosted at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Reutlingen (IHK Reutlingen). The center is dedicated to fostering innovation across water management, New Space technologies, and intelligent systems.
Marcin Bielecki, Head of Technology at the Green Space Center, highlighted the regional mission of supporting local enterprises. "We help SMEs in Baden-Württemberg internationalize space-related business models and products and support their entry into international markets," said Bielecki.
The initiative aims to solidify Baden-Württemberg’s reputation as a sustainability-driven powerhouse for space technology by encouraging cross-sector collaboration and applying advanced space innovations to generate measurable ecological and economic impact.
The region currently hosts a dynamic, rapidly expanding New Space ecosystem. It features established European innovators and commercial players such as ATMOS Space Cargo, HyImpulse, ConstellR, and CELERES, while concurrently providing vital institutional backing for emerging enterprises like InSpacePropulsion Technologies (ISPTech) and Yugen Space.
