On 3 August 2026, a press conference was held in Katowice devoted to the construction of a national space industry infrastructure network. The event was attended by, among others, Andrzej Domański, Minister of Finance and Economy, Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice, Wojciech Saługa, Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship, Ryszard Koziołek, Rector of the University of Silesia, and Tomasz Rożek, PhD.
During the meeting, funding for the Silesian Space Technology Center (Space Settlement Simulation Center) on the site of the former ‘Wujek’ Coal Mine was discussed. The project concept was developed by Tomasz Rożek, PhD as part of work related to the European City of Science Katowice 2024 designation. The initiative received initial support from government representatives, and funds for a feasibility study were secured.
The project involves adapting the mine’s infrastructure into three functional zones. The underground zone (370 metres below ground level) will house an analogue habitat for research on psychological isolation and life support systems, a robotics test site, and astrobiological cultivation laboratories. The vertical mine shaft will be used for drop and altitude tests. The ground zone will also feature a Satellite Construction Center with test laboratories, a Space Business Hub with a ground station and a mining personnel retraining programme, and a STEM educational centre, which will conduct projects such as the construction of a school microsatellite.
The project is intended to enable Polish entities to effectively utilise funds from the national contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA) for 2026–2028. Financial support for infrastructure and industrial projects in the region will be based on a long-term local government financing programme from Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego with a repayment period of up to 50 years, a dedicated space fund worth PLN 500 million focused on research and development, as well as the Chrobry company with a portfolio of PLN 7 billion from the Security and Defence Fund.
The project is another element of the implementation of the concept of developing science as a new industry of Silesia. It is a joint initiative of the City of Katowice, the authorities of the Silesian Voivodeship and Metropolis GZM (GZM, the University of Silesia and the Academic Consortium Katowice – City of Science, as well as Tomasz Rożek, PhD).
