Schaeffler and Spire Global Partner to Build Sovereign European Space Infrastructure

2026-05-27 | Herzogenaurach - Germany / Vienna (VA) USA

Strategic cooperation aims to establish a new European standard for space-industrial capability, with initial focus on spacecraft subsystems and satellite platforms

Schaeffler AG (XE: SHA0), the leading motion technology company, and Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) (“Spire” or “the Company”), a leading global provider of satellite data, analytics and intelligence, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop space hardware subsystems, satellite platforms, and advanced radiofrequency (RF) and environmental sensing capabilities.

The partnership combines Schaeffler's precision engineering and manufacturing scale with Spire's proven satellite platform expertise and extensive flight heritage, with the aim of establishing a new European standard for space-industrial capability. The companies intend to build a sovereign European space hardware and mission business before the end of this decade – industrialized in Germany, flight-proven in orbit, and deployable at scale for defense, weather, civil security, and critical-infrastructure missions.

Powerful Industrial Logic

The cooperation will initially focus on securing and scaling supply chains for critical spacecraft subsystems. In parallel, the companies will evaluate a path toward industrialized satellite bus platforms for sovereign constellation programs, with Schaeffler leading precision manufacturing scale-up and Spire contributing platform architecture, flight software, and operational know-how.

Schaeffler has identified Space and Defense as strategic growth fields under its Strategic Ambition 2035 framework, bringing certified production discipline refined across decades of automotive and industrial supply and established relationships with European defense and government customers. Since 2013, Spire has designed, built, and launched more than 240 satellites across more than 40 launch campaigns. Spire currently has capacity to build 300-400 satellites per year across facilities in the United States and Europe. This dual-continent satellite manufacturing capacity is an important differentiating factor compared to other commercial satellite data, analytics and intelligence companies.

"Together with Schaeffler, we share a long-term vision for sovereign European space capability – built, deployed, and operated within Europe at industrial scale," said Theresa Condor, CEO of Spire Global. "This is a meaningful step toward a reliable, industrialized pathway for critical dual-use missions and a more self-reliant European space-industrial base capable of operating at the speed and scale modern missions require."

“As a motion technology company Schaeffler is ideally positioned to enter the new space sector. We recognize a powerful industrial logic at the heart of this cooperation. Schaeffler’s precision manufacturing, motor and bearing heritage, and power electronics capability are precisely what the growing European satellite industry requires in industrialized, flight-qualified hardware,” said Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler. “Schaeffler’s industrial capabilities position it to pursue a comparable trajectory in the European market, with Spire as its space-heritage and mission-enablement partner.”

The partnership aims to accelerate Schaeffler's entry into the space sector while deepening Spire's roots in Germany. In May 2025, Spire opened a satellite manufacturing facility in Munich, Germany – and through this partnership with Schaeffler, Spire builds on that foundation, expanding its European manufacturing presence and access to sovereign defense and government customers across the continent.

About Spire Global, Inc.
Spire (NYSE: SPIR) is a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, offering unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth so that organizations can make decisions with confidence in a rapidly changing world. Spire builds, owns, and operates a fully deployed satellite constellation that observes the Earth in real time using radio frequency technology. The data acquired by Spire’s satellites provides global weather intelligence, ship and plane movements, and spoofing and jamming detection to better predict how their patterns impact economies, global security, business operations and the environment. Spire also offers Space as a Service solutions that empower customers to leverage its established infrastructure to put their business in space. Spire has offices across the U.S., Canada, UK, Luxembourg and Germany. To learn more, visit spire.com

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial consequences of the plans and events described herein. No one undertakes any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date of this press release. Statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or events should not be taken as representation that such trends or events will continue in the future. The cautionary statements set out above should be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that Schaeffler, or persons acting on its behalf, may issue.