TESAT-SPACECOM GMBH & CO.KG

Their core work

TESAT-SPACECOM is a German RF and microwave hardware company based in Backnang, specializing in components and subsystems for both satellite communications and advanced wireless infrastructure. Their EU project work spans two technically distinct but closely related domains: high-speed satellite data chain technology (signal processing, compression, and on-board network transmission) and GaN-based RF transceiver design for 5G millimeter-wave base stations. In both areas, they contribute at the component and subsystem level — designing and characterizing MMICs, packaging solutions, and Ka/E-band hardware rather than integrating full systems. This dual-track expertise makes them a rare specialist at the intersection of space-grade RF engineering and terrestrial 5G hardware development.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both H2020 projects ran concurrently (2018–2022), so the keyword shift reflects two parallel technical tracks rather than a strict chronological evolution. Their first project (Hi-SIDE) centered on the satellite domain — data chain architecture, signal compression, and on-board networking. The second project (5G_GaN2) moved into terrestrial RF hardware, introducing GaN transistor technology, MMIC linearity modeling, and millimeter-wave packaging. The overall picture is a deliberate broadening from space-only RF expertise toward dual-use RF/microwave capabilities that serve both satellite payloads and next-generation 5G infrastructure.

TESAT-SPACECOM appears to be extending its satellite RF heritage into terrestrial 5G millimeter-wave hardware — a trajectory that positions them well for convergent space-terrestrial communication architectures such as non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and satellite-integrated 5G/6G systems.

How they like to work

TESAT-SPACECOM has participated exclusively as a partner in both projects, contributing specialized RF hardware expertise without taking on coordination or leadership roles. Despite only two projects, they engaged with 28 distinct consortium partners — a sign that they were integrated into large, multi-institutional RIA consortia typical of EU Space and ICT programs. This pattern strongly suggests they are brought in as a technical specialist for specific hardware components, not as a program manager or system integrator.

Across two projects, TESAT-SPACECOM built connections with 28 unique consortium partners spread across 12 countries — a broad European footprint reflecting the large, competitive consortia that characterize EU Space and 5G research programs. Their network spans both the space industry and the ICT/telecoms sector, giving them cross-domain reach unusual for a company of this size.

What sets them apart

TESAT-SPACECOM occupies a technically specific niche: RF and microwave hardware expertise that spans satellite-grade signal processing and 5G millimeter-wave component design within a single SME. Most companies in this space focus on one domain — either space payloads or terrestrial telecoms hardware — making their dual-track competency a genuine differentiator for consortia targeting NTN, Ka/E-band satellite broadband, or converged space-terrestrial 5G architectures. For consortium builders, they offer deep component-level design capability (MMIC, GaN, system-in-package) that is difficult to source from generalist engineering firms.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Hi-SIDE
  The largest EU investment (EUR 275,000) and the project most directly tied to TESAT-SPACECOM's core business — end-to-end satellite data chain design including on-board processing, compression, and transmission for high-speed satellite communications.
• 5G_GaN2
  Demonstrates a deliberate expansion into terrestrial RF hardware, bringing space-proven GaN and MMIC expertise to bear on 5G base station transceiver design — a rare cross-domain positioning for a space SME.