Planet Labs to invest eight-figure sum in Berlin satellite production site

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BERLIN (Reuters) -California-based Planet Labs plans to set up its first satellite production site outside the U.S. in Berlin, investing an eight-figure sum in the venture that will see the firm double its high-resolution satellite capacity, said CEO Will Marshall.

With the site, the satellite imagery firm will add up to 70 employees to the 150 employees already working at its Berlin-based European headquarters, according to a statement.

The new high-resolution Pelican satellites should be able to analyse images within minutes using artificial intelligence, Marshall said on the sidelines of the BDI Space Congress in Berlin on Thursday.

He pointed out that the conflict in Ukraine, for example, had shown how important timely military reconnaissance by satellite is.

Marshall said Planet Labs chose Berlin because of the talent pool created by the German capital’s universities and the proximity to the German government, in addition to already having its headquarters there.

“There’s real value in being close to the government,” he said.

The decision follows a 240-million-euro ($281.83 million) contract that Planet Labs received from the German government in July for its satellite services.

Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said Planet Labs’ decision was a “good signal” of Berlin’s potential as a location for high-tech companies to do business, adding that there were no government subsidies for the state-of-the-art facility.

($1 = 0.8516 euros)

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Rachel More)