Lithuania's Space Dreamers: NanoAvionics Builds Satellites and Careers

Lithuania's burgeoning space industry is creating dream jobs, but the country still faces a shortage of specialized talent. The pioneers of Lithuanian satellite development, lacking formal education in space engineering, took it upon themselves to forge the nation's path in space exploration. This initiative led to the launch of the first Lithuanian satellite, "LituanicaSAT-1," over a decade ago.

The team behind "LituanicaSAT-1" later established "NanoAvionics," now a prominent European manufacturer of small satellites. The company serves global clients, including NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), MIT, and Thales Alenia Space. Despite the industry's perceived exclusivity, NanoAvionics actively recruits individuals without prior space sector experience.

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The biggest barrier is not the lack of experience, but that young people underestimate themselves. They think the space industry is not for them, that it will be too difficult. In reality, what matters most to us is strong engineering experience, good technical foundations, and the ability to solve problems. We do not expect space industry experience, because the specifics of this industry can be successfully learned after joining the team.

Emilija Kunickė, head of personnel at "Kongsberg NanoAvionics," highlights that most Lithuanian team members joined without prior space experience. Over half the employees are between 25 and 35 years old, many having recently been university students. The company actively seeks talent among students, believing that the biggest hurdle for young people is underestimating their capabilities.

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3-4 year students often apply for internships, and we say – maybe instead of an internship, come work for us? This way, they gain real experience, get their internship counted by the university, and stay with the team after graduation.

"We primarily look for strong engineering experience, solid technical foundations, and problem-solving abilities," Kunickė explains. "We don't expect space industry experience because the specifics of this industry can be successfully learned after joining the team." NanoAvionics actively engages with universities, offering internships and even direct employment opportunities to promising students, often allowing them to count their work experience as university practice.

The company is committed to employee development, offering opportunities for growth, exploration of different fields, and increasing responsibility. Many current managers began their careers in entry-level engineering roles. NanoAvionics promotes horizontal career paths, enabling employees to deepen their knowledge in various areas, change career directions internally, and grow alongside the company.

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Our biggest success stories are the current managers. They all started from simple engineer positions. We have an open horizontal career path – employees can deepen their knowledge in different areas, change their career direction within the company, and grow with the company.