José Silva || Managing Director of Solenix Portugal
Solenix || German-Swiss || 80 people
What problem is there for Solenix to solve? Does it solve the problem? Tell us a little about the solution you developed.
We contribute to the broader challenge faced by the space sector. Every space mission generates large volumes of complex data and requires extremely reliable systems to operate satellites and extract value from that data. Satellites operate far from Earth, often for many years, and once they are in orbit, the margin for error is very small. Space organisations, therefore, need advanced engineering, software systems, and operational expertise to ensure missions operate safely and that their data can be transformed into useful information.
This is where Solenix contributes. We help space organisations unlock the full potential of their missions by providing engineering expertise, software products, and operational services across the space ecosystem. This includes spacecraft operations and flight dynamics, space situational awareness, monitoring systems, mission data processing, and downstream applications that transform satellite data into services and insights on Earth.
What makes our approach effective is the combination of deep space-domain expertise and strong software engineering. By bringing these together, we help organisations operate their missions more efficiently, extract more value from satellite data, and continue to advance our understanding of Earth and space.
What role does continuous innovation play in the development of your solutions?
Solenix operates in a competitive, highly demanding sector, and the only sustainable way to remain a trusted partner is to continuously improve our work. This goes beyond our products and engineering solutions. It also includes how we operate, collaborate with customers, and adopt new technologies. Innovation creates long-term value, while competing only on price without technological progress is neither sustainable nor attractive.
It is also essential for attracting and retaining talent. Engineers want to work on meaningful, challenging problems using modern technologies, and maintaining an innovative environment is key to building strong teams.
Innovation has been part of Solenix since the very beginning. The company started with MUST, a distributed system that transformed how spacecraft telemetry is stored and analysed by making it human-readable and quickly accessible. At a time when telemetry analysis could take hours due to live depacketization, this was a significant step forward in operational efficiency.
Why did Solenix choose Portugal to establish a new subsidiary?
Portugal has been on our radar for quite some time. Over the years, we have worked with several Portuguese professionals within our group, and we have always had excellent experiences. There is a strong alignment between our company values and the Portuguese work culture, particularly in collaboration, technical quality, and commitment. Our CEO has a strong appreciation for Portugal, and the country has always been viewed very positively within the company.
So, the real question for us was not so much why Portugal, but rather why now.
The answer is that the time is right. Portugal’s space sector has grown significantly in recent years. Through the Portuguese Space Agency and the national Space Agenda, the country has been developing a dynamic ecosystem involving industry, research institutions, and new space companies. This creates real opportunities for collaboration and development that simply did not exist on the same scale five years ago.
Our goal is twofold. On the one hand, we want to contribute our expertise to support the development of the Portuguese space ecosystem, particularly in areas such as spacecraft operations, ground segment development, and downstream applications using satellite data. On the other hand, we also see Portugal as a place where we can learn, collaborate, and acquire new competencies from the local ecosystem, strengthening Solenix as a whole.
How does the Subsidiary in Portugal, at UPTEC, contribute to the company’s overall strategy?
First, it helps us expand our engineering capacity. Portugal has a strong tradition of engineering education and a growing aerospace sector, particularly around universities and innovation centres such as UPTEC. By establishing a presence there, we can attract talented engineers and strengthen the Solenix group’s overall capabilities.
Being locally present enables us to collaborate with Portuguese companies, research institutions, and universities, and contribute our expertise in areas such as spacecraft operations, ground segment development, artificial intelligence, and downstream applications of satellite data.
Finally, the subsidiary also strengthens our ability to bring European projects to Portugal. Solenix has a strong track record with organisations such as ESA and EUMETSAT, and our goal is to attract some of these activities to Portugal, creating opportunities for local talent while reinforcing our competitive position in Europe.
In short, the Portuguese office is not only a new location for the company. It is a strategic step that allows us to expand our expertise, innovate in new areas, and build strong partnerships within Portugal’s growing space sector while strengthening the Solenix group.
To what factors do you attribute Solenix ‘s success?
First, deep expertise and reliability in a very demanding sector. Over the years, Solenix has built strong credibility by supporting major European institutions, such as ESA and EUMETSAT, and consistently delivering reliable engineering solutions.
Second, the quality and commitment of our engineering teams. Our business is fundamentally about solving complex problems for our customers. Many of our engineers work directly with customer teams and often go beyond contractual obligations to ensure that missions run successfully. That level of accountability and partnership is something our customers value highly.
Third, a strong culture of innovation combined with simplicity. At the same time, our approach is very practical. We focus on solutions that work in real operational environments and that help our customers improve their missions and operations.
Finally, I would add long-term relationships and adaptability. Our ability to adapt while maintaining strong customer partnerships and delivering consistent results has been a key element of our success.
In the end, our success comes from a simple combination: trusted expertise, talented people, practical innovation, and strong long-term partnerships with our customers. These are part of our company’s values. For us, it is about living our values.
If you had to give one piece of advice to someone who is starting a new business or business unit, or leading a team, what would it be?
First, understand the environment before you try to change it. Every market, organisation, or country has its own dynamics. Second, choose carefully the people who will walk the journey with you. No one builds a business or leads a team alone. Being surrounded by capable people who make the journey constructive and energising makes an enormous difference.
Third, base decisions on a real diagnosis of the problem. When something is not working or when you need to decide what comes next, resist the temptation to apply generic solutions or fashionable strategies. Start by understanding what is really happening. Identify the root causes, carefully deconstruct the problem, and only then define the actions that follow from that diagnosis.
Finally, combine realism with ambition. As leaders, we must be precise and pragmatic about risks, constraints, and probabilities. But at the same time, building something new requires passion, optimism, and sometimes a bit of boldness. The key is to aim high while keeping your feet firmly on the ground.
March 30, 2026
