As Head of the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Innovation and Ventures Office, Frank Salzgeber is responsible for the biggest Space entrepreneurship network in the world and is truly passionate about human space flight and the European Space Programme. In the last 12 years, Salzgeber has initiated 700 start-ups, supported in excess of 320 interdisciplinary technology transfers and invested over 35 million euros in seed investment through the EAS BIC Programme, with the successful framework adopted by Fraunhofer, CERN, Airbus Defence and other Space Agencies.

Salzberger began his career by studying for a degree in Industrial Engineering, before landing a role at Apple Computer in 1993. His career at Apple took him across Europe and to the US, and he stayed at the company for seven years before founding his own IT start-up company in Munich, Germany in 2000. After a successful merger with CANCOM SA, he accepted a post as Head of the Commercial Development in the European Astronaut Department of the Directorate of Human Spaceflight Microgravity and Exploration at the European Space Agency, fulfilling his life’s dream and passion to work in the area of human space flight.

In addition to his role at the ESA, Salzgeber is a member of several advisory boards in start-up companies, venture capital funds, and international cooperation, is a board member of the EBAN (European Business Angel Network) Space and is on the board of directors of European Business Network (EBN).