Frank Salzgeber

Frank Salzgeber currently serves as Acting Vice Governor for Space at the Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST), where he contributes to establishing and managing space programs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prior to this role, he accumulated 19 years of experience at the European Space Agency (ESA). At ESA, he headed the Innovation and Ventures Office, developing what became the largest space entrepreneurship network globally, known as the ESA BICs. His team at ESA was responsible for initiating over 370 industry transfers and providing support to more than 1,300 start-ups. Additionally, his office facilitated over 1,000 downstream business cases.

During his tenure at ESA, Frank Salzgeber also held leadership positions as the head of the Technology Transfer Program Office (TTPO) and the Commercial Development for Human Spaceflight and Exploration unit. Before joining ESA, he gained experience as the Founder and CFO/COO of an IT start-up based in Munich, Germany. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years at Apple Computer, now Apple Inc., where he worked as an account and sales manager with responsibilities across Central Europe.

Throughout his career, Frank Salzgeber has been instrumental in bridging the gap between space technology and terrestrial applications, creating a brand for ESA Space Solutions, which operates in over 70 locations across Europe and internationally. He also co-founded the EIROforum working group on Innovation management and knowledge transfer, encompassing organizations such as CERN, EFDA-JET, EMBL, ESA, ESO, ESRF, European XFEL, and ILL, further demonstrating his commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration.