Portugal Defence plans to create a Space Air Force - Portugal Business News Portugal news – Portugal Defence is planning its long-term transformation towards the creation of a Space Air Force, according to Air Force Chief of Staff, General Cartaxo Alves.   Portugal is planning the transformation of its Defence sector with especial emphasis on the fifth dimension, that is Cyberwarfare. This Cyberwarfare dimension is linked to the fourth dimension that is Space, as it enables the consolidation of cybersecurity processes required for communication protocols.   The transformation process of Portugal’s Defence sector is in line with the plans of other European partners, that is the transition from separate entities for the Air Force and the Space Force towards the creation of a Space Air Force, according to the Chief of Staff in a DN/TSF interview on April 12th.     The creation of a Space Air Force will become possible when Portugal’s Defence sector transitions towards the fifth dimension, while advance Cyberwarfare technology is also linked to the replacement of existing aircraft.   The Portuguese Air Force, Força Aérea Portuguesa, is thus planning to transition from the F-16 to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets as part of a long-term transformation plan that is expected to be phased between 7 to 20 years. The transition process is deemed to be fundamental, and will also include the new KPC-390, which is a state-of-the-art aircraft, and the modernization of the P-3 fleet that Portugal is carrying out in Canada with General Dynamics, as well as increasing the existing fleet with planes from the German Navy.   Portugal recently had a workshop with Lockheed Martin and with the U.S. Air Force to learn how to transition to fifth generation operations. While the program for the transformation of Portugal’s Defence sector is expected to cost around 5.5 billion euros, the amount to be budgeted is to be phased over a period of 20 years. This means that the first plane is only expected to be delivered in the seventh year and the logistics for such a program will involve the other European partners.   Moreover, Portugal is planning to focus on the future attractiveness of the Air Force and is therefore working on the rehabilitation of the entire housing stock as well as the health centers that will be able to attract civilian doctors. The program includes a family component with leisure activities for children and breast milk extraction rooms to cater for the female personnel, since around 23.8% of the Portuguese Air Force staff is comprised of women.   It is expected that the long-term transformation of Portugal’s Defence sector, that includes new cutting-edge equipment, better remuneration and retirement plans, as well as improved working and health-care conditions, will increase the attractiveness of the sector in order to offset the current shortage of permanent personnel in the Air Force sector.     While Portugal has long-term transformation plans for the creation of a Space Air Force, it is to be noted that Spain has already officially established a Space Command on January 9, 2024, in order to formalize its existing combined Air and Space Force structure.   #portugalnews #newsportugal #defencenewsportugal #spaceairforceportugal #PortugalDefence #ForçaAéreaPortuguesa #LockheedMartin #GeneralDynamics

Portugal leads EU camouflage project with funding of 14.5 M - Portugal Business news Portugal news - Portugal leads the EU camouflage technology project that has an overall funding of 14.5 million euros.   From the code name “Adaptive Camouflage foR sOldierS and vehicleS”, the ACROSS project will develop disruptive technologies and solutions for adaptive camouflage for different environmental conditions in multiple spectral ranges.   Financed under European Defence Fund, the new ACROSS project brings together 9 EU countries, including military forces, industry and R&D centers, under the coordination of CITEVE – Portuguese Technological Centre for Textile and Clothing Industry.   European Defence is taking the forefront and Portugal’s tech sector is taking the lead to develop innovative technologies with Portugal’s technological center CITEVE coordinating the EU project to develop military camouflage of the future.   Portugal’s CITEVE center will develop disruptive technology for the European Defence sector within the scope of the ACROSS project that will foster a critical mass of cross border collaborations and improve the agility of the Defence supply and value chains.    The ACROSS project will develop not only camouflage from people, but also camouflage from machines such as radars, infrared detectors and other radiation. The tech development of camouflage in the full sense will also apply to vehicles and drones.   While CITEVE in Portugal is the project coordinator, the other Portuguese members of the consortium are the Portuguese Army (Exército Português), Magellan Circle – European Affairs Consultancy, Damel textile company, and the Center for Nanotechnology and Functional and Intelligent Technical Materials.   The countries that are part of the ACROSS project led by Portugal are Germany, Italy, Greece, Sweden, Netherlands, France, Spain, and Lithuania.  The project will thus widen cross-border cooperation between legal entities and foster research and technological development for the Defence industry.   With Portugal is taking the lead in the EU ACROSS project, the country is positioning itself in the EU Defense industry that has an overall funding of one billion euros annually to finance innovation.   #portugalnews #newsportugal #defencenewsportugal #EUcamouflagetechnology #EUACROSSproject #ACROSS #CITEVE #textileindustrynewsportugal #militarynewsportugal #EuropeanDefenceAgency #ExércitoPortugal

Portuguese Air Force receives the Embraer KC-390 aircraft - Portugal Business News Portugal news – The Portuguese Air Force is receiving the second out of 5 Embraer KC-390 aircraft that represent an investment of 827 million euros.   The Embraer KC-390 aircraft have components produced in Portugal in the former Embraer factories in Évora and in OGMA, Alverca do Ribatejo, and their design involved the investment of 650,000 hours of Portuguese engineering work developed by CEiiA.   Portugal’s new Embraer KC-390 aircraft will replace its C-130 Hercules aircraft and will be operated by Squadron 506 "Rhinos" that is based at Air Base No. 11, in Beja. The deal also includes aircraft maintenance for the first 12 years of life and the acquisition of a flight simulator.   The new KC-390 also have NATO standard equipment, integrated after an extensive test campaign carried out in Portugal, and has already been approved by the National Aeronautical Authority (AAN).   Portugal’s new Embraer KC-390 is a multi-task aircraft, with intercontinental range, that is capable of carrying out operations such as transporting troops, vehicles and palletized cargo, dropping paratroopers and cargo, air medical transport, search and rescue missions, aerial refueling and fighting forest fires. The Embraer KC-390 aircraft is endowed with true multi-mission capabilities, thus fulfilling the requirements for participation in military operations that may arise from the alliances with Portugal, namely the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).   The cooperation with Embraer will strengthen Portugal’s relations with Brazil and will develop the Portuguese aeronautical cluster as an important component of the national economy. See the video of Portugal's Embraer KC-390 aircraft: #portugalnews #newsportugal #militaryaircraftportugal #EmbraerKC390 #OGMA #CEiiA #NationalAeronauticalAuthority #ForçaAéreaPortuguesa

Investment of 90 million euros in Portugal’s aeronautical industry - Portugal Business News Portugal news – An investment of 90 million euros in Portugal’s aeronautical industry was made by OGMA that is opening a new Pratt & Whitney engine maintenance line.   The Pratt & Whitney engine maintenance line will ensure the maintenance of the new generation of commercial aircraft, including the Airbus A320neo family and the Embraer E190-E2 and E195-E2 aircraft.   OGMA, that is owned by Embraer through Airholding with 65% of shares and by Portuguese public company idD Portugal Defence with 35% of shares, has invested over 90 million euros in Portugal’s aeronautical industry.     #portugalnews #newsportugal #aeronauticalindustryportugal #OGMA #Embraer #PrattandWhitney #investmentnewsportugal

The emergence of Portugal as a European Aerospace Industrial hub - Portugal Business News Portugal news – Portugal is emerging as a European Aerospace Industrial hub according to Airbus and the Airbus hub in Portugal is growing beyond previous forecasts.   Airbus is growing its presence in Portugal where the company operates as a trusted partner of the Portuguese aerospace industry. The Airbus hub in Portugal not only provides support to airline operators with aviation support services but also cooperates with the Portuguese government with top-notch defence capabilities and advanced space technologies.   Portugal is a key contributor to all Airbus programs, from commercial aircraft assemblies to helicopter electric switchboards, from machining to composite assembly. Through the fruitful and collaborative work with Airbus, Portugal is now building a real cluster of Tier 1 & 2 Aerospace companies with a reputation for a highly educated and reliable workforce.  Currently, out of 70 Portuguese aerospace companies, over half provide products and services for Airbus production, for R&D, and for a broad range of services that support Airbus operations.   Airbus not only works with Portuguese companies such as OGMA, Caetano and Critical Software, but has also been a catalyst for attracting investors in the Portuguese aerospace industry such as Mecachrome and Lauak Group.     The continued growth of Portugal’s aerospace industry has led to the emergence of Portugal as a new European Aerospace Industrial hub. The Airbus Global Business Services hub alone sources over 70 million euros annually from its supply chain partners in Portugal.   The growth of the Airbus hub in Portugal has exceeded its expectations and the company has already reached the milestone of 1,000 employees in the country, that is well beyond its forecasts for 2025.   When Airbus first identified the need to create a new centralized specialized Global Business Services Centre, Lisbon in Portugal came out as the clear hub for Europe.  The choice of Lisbon as a hub was made due to the fact that the city was capable of fulfilling all the requirements, including the availability of talent, its demonstrated local GBS industry footprint, its GDPR compatibility and its favorable labor environment.   The Airbus shared services center in Lisbon and Coimbra, that started operations in 2021, is now looking for talent in Portugal to fuel its rapid growth.   Since January 2022, the Airbus hub in Portugal also includes its subsidiary, Airbus Atlantic, that ranks number 2 globally in the aerostructures field with 13,000 employees in 5 countries and 3 continents. Airbus Atlantic has a plant near Porto that specializes in fuselage metallic sub-assembly activities for the Airbus A350 and the A320. #portugalnews #newsportugal #aerospaceindustryportugal #newsairbusportugal #OGMA #Caetano #CriticalSoftware #Mecachrome #LauakGroup #AirbusGlobalBusinessServicesCentre #AirbusAtlantic

Portuguese military tech company wins 33 million NATO contract - Portugal Business News Portugal news - Portuguese military tech company EID just won a 33 million euros NATO contract.   Portuguese military technology company EID has won a 33 million euros contract with the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) to supply the Portuguese Army with a Tactical Deployable Communication and Information System (TDCIS).   Portuguese tech company EID, that is a subsidiary of global company COHORT PLC, operates in the field of the design, manufacture, delivery and support of advanced high‑performance command C3 (command, control and communications) equipment for the global defence and security markets.   EID operates through two market divisions, namely Naval Communications with integrated command C3 systems for warships and submarines, and Tactical Communications equipment.   EID is active globally, with customers in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and South America. The UK Royal Navy is among its customers for naval communications systems and EID equips over 145 vessels worldwide, including the navies of Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium and many non-NATO export customers.   Referencing the 33 million euros NATO contract won by Portuguese military tech company EID, Andy Thomis, Cohort Chief Executive, has stated that Tactical Deployable Communication and Information System (TDCIS) will provide the Portuguese Army with a highly effective, modern system, interoperable with NATO allies. He added that, together with recent contracts with Damen for the Portuguese Navy´s Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) and with the Chilean Navy, this win takes EID’s order intake to over € 45 million in the last 4 months. #portugalnews #newsportugal #defencenewsportugal # militarytechnologycompaniesportugal #TacticalDeployableCommunicationandInformationSystem #defenceindustryportugal #EID #NATO #Cohort

What are the VC investments in Defence startups in Europe? What are the VC investments in Defence startups in Europe? - Portugal Business News Portugal news – Dealroom just published “The State of Defence Investment 2024” report for resilience builders in NATO and Europe. What are the VC investments in Defence startups in Europe?   The report publishes the Europe sovereignty index for Defence that evaluates countries' capabilities based on defence spending, troop deployments in joint missions, membership and contributions to military alliances, industrial cooperation, and military equipment.   According to the Europe sovereignty index for Defence in 2022, the average score in Europe is: Overall 5.9, Commitments 6.8, and Capabilities 5.0.   According to the Europe sovereignty index for Defence in 2022, the average score for Portugal is below the EU average with: Overall 4.7, Commitments 5.2, and Capabilities 4.1. Europe sovereignty index for Defence in 2022 - Portugal Business News   At the time of the Ukraine invasion by Russia, most of the EU was underspending in respect to NATO commitments, now this is quickly changing and EU countries announced a ramp-up of defence plans.   While the EU spent € 240 billion on defence in 2023, with € 58 billion on tech and innovation, Poland doubled its defence budget since 2014 to reach 3.8% of GDP in 2023. Germany allocated €100 billion in 2022 for cyber-defence and AI, while Sweden, Lithuania, and Finland increased defence spending in 2022 to counter Russian threats: Sweden by 30.1%, Lithuania by 27.6%, and Finland by 36%.     What are the VC investments in Defence startups in Europe?   The Top European countries for VC investment in defence startups since 2018 are: Germany, United Kingdom, and France, that attracted 87% of the total VC investment into defence tech in Europe since 2018.   While Munich is the city that has attracted the most VC funding in defence startups in Europe driven by Helsing, 6 of the Top 10 European cities for defence tech investment are in the UK.   The Top 10 investors in defence and defence application among NATO allies are mostly made up of US investors who also account for a large share of the funding flowing into European defence tech.     What are the VC investments in Cybersecurity startups in Europe?   For cybersecurity investments in Europe, 2024 is projected to be the third most active year, falling just slightly short of the 2021-2022 peak.  Cybersecurity VC funding in NATO allies peaked in 2021 at over $21B, then dropped 70%, but 2024 is set to see a slight bounce back.     Here are the Top 10 Investors in cybersecurity among NATO countries and allies since 2023:   Top 10 Investors in cybersecurity among NATO countries - Portugal Business News #portugalnews #newsportugal #defencenewsportugal #defencenewseurope #defenceinvestmentinportugal #whatarethevcinvestmentsindefencestartupsineurope #europesovereigntyindexfordefence #whatarethevcinvestmentsincybersecuritystartupsineurope #top10investorsincybersecurityamongnatocountries

Portugal news - ESA's first planetary defence mission, the Hera mission, would not have been possible without Portuguese technology, according to Portugal Space.   The Hera space probe, that will study in detail the asteroid Dimorphos, was the first body in the Solar System whose orbit was altered by human activity. Its orbit was altered in 2022 by the impact of a probe launched by the US space agency (NASA), as part of the DART mission.   The Hera probe will gather data on Dimorphos that will prove that changing the trajectory of a body such as an asteroid is a reliable planetary defense technique.  If all goes well, the Hera probe will fly past Mars in March next year and reach the asteroid more than 177 million kilometers from Earth in December 2026.   ESA's first planetary defence mission includes technology developed by Portuguese companies Tekever, GMV, FHP and Efacec.   The technology includes operational components such as an instrument with laser technology capable of measuring distances of up to 20 kilometres, the thermal insulation, the probe's navigation system and an innovative communication system between satellites.   The Hera mission is only possible thanks to the ISL system developed by Portuguese company Tekever: “The innovative configuration of the Hera mission, with two smaller satellites responding to a main satellite, is only possible with an ISL that allows them to communicate with each other” and TEKEVER’s GAMALINK is an “enabling technology for this type of mission”, explained Pedro Rodrigues, Commercial Development Director at TEKEVER Space.   Portuguese space tech company GMV was responsible for developing the Hera mission’s autonomous Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) system, which allows the probe to approach the asteroid Dimorphos to within 1 kilometre.   “Developing a GNC system for asteroids is a huge challenge – not only technological, but also human,” explained Francisco Cabral, technical leader of GMV’s Attitude and Orbit Control Systems (AOCS) in Portugal.   The Hera mission would not have been possible without effective thermal protection, and that was exactly what Portuguese space company FHP contributed to the mission.  The company supplied the multilayer thermal protection (MLI) for the probe, which was essential for its performance throughout the mission, as it protects the probe from the extreme temperatures of space and ensures correct operations throughout the mission.   “The thermal protection covers practically all of the external, and some internal, elements of the probe, so its good performance is essential for the good performance of the probe,” said Miguel Santos, from FHP.   He highlighted that this contract strengthened the company’s ties with OHB, the main contractor, with whom they have “been collaborating for over a decade”, and also had “the opportunity to work directly with ESA on a planetary defence mission, which is therefore of relevance to Humanity”.   Portuguese participation was possible after Portugal signed the mission envelope at the ESA Space19+ Ministerial Summit and at the 2022 Ministerial Summit.   “Portugal's participation in the mission demonstrates the capacity and talent of our ecosystem to contribute cutting-edge technologies to this type of space security projects”, stated Inês d'Ávila, space security program manager at the Portuguese Space Agency.   The Hera mission is an example of how international collaboration and Portuguese technology are preparing humanity to respond to potential space threats, paving the way for a new era of space security.    #portuguesespacetechnology #portuguesespacecompanies #heramission #spacenewsportugal #portugalnews

What is Portugal’s new ForceShield Air Defence System? - Portugal Business News Portugal News - Portugal’s new ForceShield Air Defence System is the result of contract signed between French multinational Thales and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.   Portugal’s new ForceShield air defence system is designed to strenghten Portugal's very short-range air-defence capabilities, while meeting NATO requirements.   This represents the first contract between Thales and an EU country and is in line with the block’s Long-term Military Programming Law (LPM), which defines the strategic framework for the modernization of the Armed Forces' in-service equipment.     What is Portugal’s new ForceShield Air Defence System? ForceShield produced by French multinational Thales is an air defence solution designed to protect forces, citizens and critical infrastructure from an increasingly diverse range of airborne threats - from low-altitude threats such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to helicopters, fighter ground attacks or cruise missiles. ForceShield provides appropriate components to detect, coordinate, engage and neutralize threats.   Portugal’s new ForceShield air defence system includes a Ground Master 200 air surveillance radar, a radio communications system, an Air Defence command-and-control centre, and portable weapon allocation terminals. ForceShield also includes RapidRanger vehicles fitted with StarStreak high velocity Air Defence Missiles and with Lightweight Multirole Missile (LLM) anti-armour missiles.   Thales Portugal has been present in the country for over 36 years and is a key contributor to the Thales Group ((Euronext Paris: HO) global operations. The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.   In Portugal, Thales operates two main centres of excellence: one for naval engineering, focused on developing combat management systems, and another for air traffic management solutions. Thales employs over 400 people in Portugal, actively supporting the defence, aerospace, and cybersecurity sectors, while playing a significant role in advancing Portugal’s technological infrastructure. #portugalnews #defencenewsportugal #defensenews #whatisportugalsnewforceshieldairdefencesystem #longtermmilitaryprogramminglaw #forceshieldairdefencesystem #starstreakhighvelocityairdefencemissiles #LLMantiarmourmissiles #ThalesPortugal

Portuguese aerospace company TEKEVER raises 70 million euros - Portugal Business News Portugal News - Portuguese aerospace company TEKEVER has raised 70 million euros in a Series B funding round led by Baillie Gifford and backed by the NATO Innovation Fund, that is a venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO allies with funding of €1 billion for deep tech in the Defence sector. Baillie Gifford, that is an investment management firm headquartered in Edinburg, was the early backer of Airbnb, Spotify and SpaceX.   Other participants in the TEKEVER funding round include the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, that is a UK government–owned fund supporting advanced technologies related to national security; Crescent Cove Advisors LP, that is an investment firm based in Silicon Valley; and existing investors Iberis Semper, and Cedrus Capital. TEKEVER was advised by The Growth Stage and Houlihan Lokey during the process.   Portuguese aerospace company TEKEVER is the European market leader in AI Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), providing AI-centric hardware-enabled systems. The new funding round will allow TEKEVER to accelerate investment in R&D to support product innovation.   TEKEVER has already accumulated numerous successful operations in Ukraine and in its work with the UK Home Office and European Maritime Safety Agency.   TEKEVER systems have been deployed to Ukraine to enable some of the most complex and demanding long range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, performed under the most extreme operational and technical conditions. #portugalnews #investmentnewsportugal #defencenewsportugal #fundingroundtekever #TEKEVER #portugueseaerospacecompanies #portuguesedrones #AIdrones

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Portuguese satellite Prometheus-1 in January - Portugal Business News Portugal News – Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Portuguese satellite Prometheus-1 from the Vandenberg spaceport in California in January 2025.   Portuguese satellite Prometheus-1, built by Minho University (UMinho), will be launched by Space X in early January and will then remain in orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometers in order to collect useful data for the academic and scientific communities.   Prometheus-1 will be Portugal’s third satellite in orbit, after the launch of satellite MH-1 from the Aeros consortium and ISTSat-1 from the Instituto Superior Técnico of the University of Lisbon.   Prometheus-1 satellite measures five centimeters on each side and weighs 250 grams. It contains battery management and orientation systems, microcontrollers and a camera similar to that of a cell phone to capture images that will allow to evaluate from Earth its positioning and possible software errors.   The consortium that developed Portugal’s Prometheus-1 satellite is led by Alexandre Ferreira da Silva, from the Department of Industrial Electronics at UMinho’s School of Engineering, in partnership with the teams of Zachary Manchester, from Carnegie Mellon University (USA), who designed the initial platform, and Rodrigo Ventura and Rui Rocha, from Lisbon’s Instituto Superior Técnico, who contributed to the ground segment. Companies Alba Orbital and Fossa Systems also collaborated on the integration of the satellite that is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.    The launch of Portuguese satellite Prometheus-1 by Space X is an important milestone in Portugal’s space ecosystem, in which satellites entirely developed and built in Portugal are launched into Earth’s orbit. #portugalnews #spacenewsportugal #portuguesesatellites #SpaceXFalconrocket #Prometheus1 #MinhoUniversity #satellitenewsportugal

Portugal leads quantum cryptography project for European Defence - Portugal Business News Portugal news - Portugal is leading a new quantum cryptography project for European Defence named DISCRETION, that is a project costing 6,719,699.75 euros. Below is an explanation of how Portugal developed quantum cryptography technology that has the potential for large-scale implementation, as well as the list of companies and countries that are part of the DISCRETION project consortium:     What is the EU Defence project DISCRETION?     The new EU quantum technologies project for European Defence, named DISCRETION for “Disruptive SDN secure communications for European Defence”, will provide disruptive Software Defined Network (SDN) and Quantum Key Distribution technologies.  Combined with legacy optical networks, the project will build a highly secure network for advanced military tactical operation services that will create a degree of autonomy for European Defence forces against new cyber-security threats in the post-quantum era.     How will Portugal use Quantum technologies for the EU Defence project DISCRETION?   The Portuguese National Security Office and Portuguese National Defence have been investing in and preparing optical and quantum communications for the future, enabling the secure and robust exchange of sensitive data.   QSCRIPT, a previous initiative supported by the Portuguese National Security Office and the Portuguese Armed Forces General Staff, enabled the development of a communication anchor based on cipher machines and cryptographic key production processes. Two sites of the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence positioned 4.5 km apart were connected by a quasi-quantum link using Portuguese technology, which DISCRETION will improve.   DISCRETION supports the PErmanent Structured COoperation (PESCO) project and the EU Cyber Academia and Innovation Hub (EU CAIH), led by Portugal.  These initiatives will facilitate the research and development of innovative solutions and technologies for cybersecurity, promote training and provide the new competencies required to master these new cryptographic systems.   During the REPMUS exercise that was carried out in September by the Portuguese Navy in collaboration with NATO, the potential of DISCRETION's Software Defined Radios (SDRs) communications was demonstrated, as they received cryptographic keys generated by Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution (CV-QKD) technology to protect sensitive information.  The CV-QKD technology has the   potential for large-scale implementation of quantum cryptography and is compatible with traditional optical networks.     Here is the list of companies and countries that are part of the DISCRETION project consortium: 1 - DEIMOS ENGENHARIA S.A (COORDINATOR) - Portugal   2 - ADYTA LDA - Portugal 3 - ALTICE LABS - Portugal   4 - INSTITUTO DE TELECOMUNICAÇÕES - Portugal 5 - INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TÉCNICO - Portugal   6 - AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH - Austria   7 - NEXTWORKS - Italy 8 - TELEFONICA INVESTIGACIÓN Y DESARROLLO S.A.U. -Spain   9 - UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE MADRID - Spain #portugalnews #technologynewsportugal #quantumtechnologyportugal #quantumcryptography #DISCRETIONproject #whatistheeudefenceprojectdiscretion # listofcompaniesthatarepartofthediscretionproject