Frank Maximilian Salzgeber

Managing Director of Space Sector 

Saudi Space Commission

As Managing Director of Space Sector of the Saudi Space Commission (SSC) , Frank supports the build-up and operation of the Space Programmes of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Frank spent 19 years in the European Space Agency (ESA) and  he built the largest space entrepreneurship network in the world (ESA BICs). His ESA team initiated over 370 industry transfers and aided over 1,300 start-ups. Additionally his office supported over 1,000 downstream business cases. He supported the exploitation of ESA Intellectual Property and promotes the Directorate of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications of ESA, which has additionally supported over 1,000 downstream business cases. His team aids industry to work with ESA, venture capitalists to connect to start-ups and helps new space companies into orbit and to the Moon.

Prior posts  were Head of Technology Transfer Programm and Business Incubation Office , as well as Head of the  Commercial Development for Human Spaceflight and Exploration in the European Astronaut Department of the Directorate of Human Spaceflight Microgravity and Exploration at ESA.

Before joining ESA, Frank held the position of Founder and CFO / COO for an IT start-up, headquartered in Munich, Germany. The company was merged with CANCOM SA. Frank also spent seven years at Apple Computer, now Apple Inc., as an account and sales manager, responsible for Central Europe. He was positioned in the Netherands,  Germany, the USA and the Czech Republic.