Irish optical communications company MBRYONICS is expanding its manufacturing operations with a second facility in Shannon, Ireland, increasing capacity to meet rising demand for its space communications technologies.

Business Wire reported that the company is developing a 40,000 sq ft site known as Photon 2, which is expected to produce thousands of optical terminals annually by 2027.

The expansion follows MBRYONICS’ selection by the European Space Agency for in-orbit demonstration activities under the HydRON programme, reinforcing demand for its optical communications systems across global satellite networks.

The new facility will support scaled production of the company’s StarCom optical terminals and associated ground infrastructure, requiring high-specification operational environments and advanced facilities management capabilities.

John Mackey, CEO of MBRYONICS, said: “By combining our Optical Terminals with AI-optimised SDN platforms and OGS-1 ground stations, we are turning fragmented constellations into a single, seamless, and interoperable network.”

He added that the project enables interoperability across satellite systems, supporting high-capacity and low-latency communications across multiple orbital layers.

Laurent Jaffart, director of resilience, navigation and connectivity at ESA, said: “HydRON will serve as the world’s first multi-orbital optical communications network with a terabit per second capacity.”

The expansion reflects increasing investment in advanced manufacturing facilities linked to space and telecommunications technologies, driving demand for precision-managed environments and scalable infrastructure.

For facilities management providers, the development highlights growth in specialist services supporting cleanroom operations, energy optimisation and compliance across high-performance manufacturing sites.

Read more on MBRYONICS’ Shannon facility expansion, including production scale-up plans, ESA collaboration, and the infrastructure requirements supporting next-generation optical communications manufacturing.