ST Engineering iDirect’s EU Satcom Centre of Excellence, ST Engineering iDirect Europe, has advanced the European Protected Waveform (EPW) project to its second phase.
Under the leadership of Belgium’s Ministry of Defence and with ST Engineering iDirect Europe as the consortium lead, this milestone marks significant progress in enhancing secure and autonomous satellite communications for Europe.
The project brings together a consortium of 22 organizations from 12 EU Member States, encompassing experts from industry, government and academia. This collaborative effort aims to develop a comprehensive, end-to-end waveform solution designed to ensure resilient and secure communications for military operations and critical government needs in increasingly complex operational environments.
With the foundation established during Phase 1 that laid the framework for the waveform’s initial development, Phase 2 focuses on the prototyping and integration of the EPW system. The goal is to provide secure, interoperable systems that align with Europe’s strategic initiatives, including the future IRIS² satellite constellation and the EU GovSatCom program.
The total investment in the EPW project now stands at 65 million euros, with 35 million euros dedicated to Phase 2 following the 30 million euros allocation in Phase 1. This investment highlights Europe’s commitment to advancing protected satellite communications and strengthening collaborative defence capabilities among its Member States.
About ST Engineering iDirect Europe
ST Engineering iDirect Europe, located in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, is ST Engineering iDirect’s EU Satcom Center of Excellence specialising in the development of ground segment technology and solutions specifically for the EU. As a legal Belgian entity, ST Engineering iDirect Europe has its own board of directors to comply to the guidelines and conditions as put forward by the EU Commission and the Belgian Government. With over 35 years of experience, the ST Engineering iDirect portfolio of high-value product lines and services in addition to a dedicated team of domain specialists, and a ISO9001 certified manufacturing center the team has a portfolio of capabilities to cater to the specific needs of European funded SATCOMs programs.